Early flight, Aeronautica, and the Caproni collection
Viewing times
Saturday 9th November 10am to 13:00pm
Sunday 10th November 10am to 15:00pm
Monday 11th November 10:00am to 16:00pm
Tuesday 12th November 09:00am to 11:00am
Sale contact
Name: Hamish Trower
Email: hamish@mallams.co.uk
Name: Henry Cooke
Email: henry@mallams.co.uk
Telephone: 01235 462840
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Auction
Category
Cameras & Scientific Instruments (1)
Coins, Tokens & Banknotes (69)
Garden Ornament, sculpture and architectural elements (2)
Lighting & Decorative Items (5)
Artist / Maker / Brand
Lot 35
Caproni GDL, Dyeline after a concept drawing of a single-engined ambulance aircraft
Lot 51
1927 Ca60 TRANSAERO (often referred to as the ‘Noviplano‘ or ‘Capronissimo‘)
Lot 54
1933 Ca102 small three-view drawing in ink and a Ca-? unknown bombing aircraft
Lot 65
1937 Ca171, 'Vista di Fianco’, ‘Vista in Pianta', and ‘Vista di Fronte’
Lot 80
1941 Ca F6M (Alpha engine), 1940 F6Z (IF engine), and 1942 a F6M ’tre-vista’
Lot 87
1947 Ca191 twin engined post war transport aircraft (Isotta Frashini Delta III)
Lot 90
1943 Caproni Arciere II, ‘Tre Viste’ and various other technical drawings
Lot 91A
An old facsimile WWII letter from Mussolini, photographs, and a further letter
Useful Terms
Sezione Longitudinale and Vista in Franco are side views
Sezione Orizontale and Vista in Pianta are plan views
Vista di Fronte-front view
Tre Vista-three views
Modellino Aerodinamico-wind tunnel model
Baricentro-weight and balance
Idrovolante-Seaplane/ flying boat
Aerobatic-aerobatic
Prove-tests
Silurante-Torpedo
Engineer Campini is one of the pioneers of the jet engine. Having demonstrated a jet-powered boat, on Venice Lagoon in 1932, Campini was supported by the Italian Air Ministry to work with the Caproni Company to develop a jet aircraft (the resulting design Caproni CC2, or N1 flew successfully in 1940). Although Campini's engine differed from the modern jet, in that it compressed the air with a petrol engine rather than turbines, the reactive force of the burning gases produced the thrust which propelled the aircraft, so is considered a true jet.
The next two lots of are probably the earliest of Caproni’s sketches to have survived. They show the young engineer trying out ideas for flying machines. There are 24 pieces altogether, mostly on both sides of thin cheap paper. The sketches are done in pencil- with various calculations- and doodles. Many of the rough designs seem, through our retrospective eyes, to be hopelessly impractical. Although one contemporary viewer-Louis Bleriot- (Caproni had worked with Bleriot in 1910) has commented on one sketch (no.1) ‘Dearest Caproni what have you done?’
Generale Felice Porro (1891-1975)
An important figure in Italian Aviation, Porro was a pilot and associate with Caproni D’Annunzio, Balbo and the other prominent aviators. He was a prolific writer, and an enthusiastic observer, of all aviation subjects from its earliest days to the 1970s.
The following four lots detail experimental projects from 1942-44.