At the 1935 Milan Exhibition there appeared the prototype of
the Caproni Bergamaschi Ca 306 Borea (north wind), a six-passenger low-wing
transport with fixed main landing gear faired into the nacelles which housed
185-hp (138-kW) Walter Major engines. Six of these aircraft served ultimately
with the Italian airline Ala Littoria, and two more were supplied to the
Italian colonial government in Libya Although built only in small numbers, the
Borea was important as the progenitor of a range of light twinengine aircraft
manufactured for a wide variety of roles. The first of these was the
aptly-named Ca 309 Ghibli (desert wind), 78 of which were built between the
1936 and 1938 for use in Libya.
Production included two civil examples, 165 built for the
Regia Aeronautica between 1940 and 1944, and two supplied to Paraguay in 1938.
The military versions were used as light transports or reconnaissance bombers
with a lengthened glazed nose, bomb racks, cameras, and with armament
comprising three 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine-guns. Another model featured a fixed
forward firing 20-mm cannon. Seven squadrons equipped with Ghiblis were
operational when Italy entered the war in 1940.
Specifications
(Ca.309)
General characteristics
* Crew: 3
* Length: 12.85 m
(42.16 ft)
* Wingspan: 16.20
m (53.15 ft)
* Height: 3.04 m
(9.98 ft)
* Wing area: 38.70
m² (416.6 ft²)
* Empty weight:
1,960 kg (4,190 lb)
* Loaded weight:
2,930 kg (6,460 lb)
* Powerplant: 2×
Alfa Romeo 115-II 6-cylinder inline engine, 390 hp (291 kw) each
Performance
* Maximum speed:
250 km/h (155 mph)
* Range: 1,050 km
(652 mi)
* Service ceiling:
4,250 m (14,000 ft)
Armament
* Guns: 3 × 7.7 mm
(.303 in) Breda SAFAT machine guns
* Bombs: up to 330
kg
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