In the first half of the 20th century, Italy was one of the countries in which aviation and aircraft construction were actively developing. Italian designers were among the first to create a jet aircraft, which made its first flight 78 years ago - on August 27, 1940. We are talking about an experienced jet fighter Caproni Campini N.1 (Italian Caproni Campini N.1), built at the Caproni plant. This aircraft became the second aircraft with a turbojet engine in history, after the German experimental aircraft Heinkel He 178, which took off exactly one year before the Italian, on August 27, 1939.
Known and advertised at the start of World War II as the world's first jet aircraft, the experimental Italian Caproni-Campini N.1 was actually a very ineffective model that took off a year later than the secret, but significantly more promising German experimental aircraft Heinkel He 178 and 14 months after the flight of the missile He 176. Despite this, this sample deserves its share of attention as one of the first jet aircraft in the world.
At the same time, the project of the Italian jet aircraft has come a long way from idea to implementation. Back in 1931, the Italian engineer Secondo Campini founded his own company, the purpose of which was to study the principles and methods of jet propulsion. Starting work on a new promising aircraft in the mid-1930s, Campini in 1939 managed to convince the Caproni company to build an aircraft of his design, which would become the crown of his work. It is worth noting that he managed to interest one of the main and most famous Italian aircraft building companies at that time with his project. It was founded back in 1908 by Giovanni Caproni, who in 1911 created the first Italian aircraft.
The main feature of the aircraft, which was designed by Secondo Campini, was its engine design, which could hardly be called ordinary. The thing is that the Italians simply did not have a working model of a turbojet engine. That is why today it does not seem strange how Italy, being the second country in the world that managed to build and lift an airplane with an air-jet engine, was not among the leading countries in the field of these technologies. The path they chose was too original and, as further history showed, a dead end.
In fact, the aircraft created by Campini was a piston-jet aircraft. At its heart was Isotta Fraschini's L.121 R. C. 40 12-cylinder liquid-cooled piston engine, with a maximum output of 900 hp. This engine was integrated with a front compressor and a nozzle carrying air from the compressor. The original power plant was named "Monoreattore". In this design, a conventional piston engine was used to drive a turbofan compressor that supplied high-pressure air to the combustion chamber (where compressed air was mixed with fuel, then ignited, burned, and escaped through the jet nozzle). An adjustable diameter nozzle was located at the very end of the aft fuselage. Based on the design, the experimental Caproni Campini N.1 could be considered a twin-engine aircraft, although only one engine was used to create thrust.
Outwardly, the new Italian aircraft was much more traditional. It was an all-metal low-wing aircraft with a two-seater cockpit and retractable landing gear. There were no particular complaints about the aerodynamics of the aircraft. The all-metal construction, clean aerodynamic shapes and retractable landing gear struts were definitely a plus for the project. But the plane itself turned out to be quite cumbersome and heavy. The takeoff weight of the aircraft was almost 4200 kg, for such a weight of the existing power plant, which did not differ in high thrust (about 750 kgf) and good fuel efficiency, it was not enough, which was the reason for the low speed characteristics of the experimental model.
The first prototype of the experimental aircraft Caproni-Campini N.1 took to the skies on August 27, 1940 from the Tagledo airfield near Milan, piloted by the experienced Italian test pilot Mario de Bernardi, who owned a number of pre-war aviation world records, including flying seaplanes … The first flight of the new aircraft was successful, and the event itself was recorded by the International Aviation Federation. At the same time, the plane was in the air for only 10 minutes. It is worth noting that at that time, this particular flight was considered the first successful flight of a jet aircraft, since the Germans were testing their He 178 turbojet aircraft in complete secrecy.
In total, several test flights of the new aircraft were carried out, including a 270 km flight from Tagledo to Gidonia, with an average speed of approximately 335 km / h. And the maximum speed of the aircraft, which was achieved during the tests, was only 375 km / h, which is completely uncharacteristic for full-fledged jet aircraft that were created later, including during the Second World War. The maximum flight altitude that the aircraft reached during the tests was 4000 meters, while the practical ceiling of the machine could be large. The aircraft accelerated to 375 km / h using the afterburner, in the non-afterburner flight mode, the Caproni-Campini N.1 speed did not exceed 330 km / h. This aircraft climbed to an altitude of 1000 meters within 9 minutes, which was comparable to the rate of climb of airplanes during the First World War. In fairness, it should be noted that we are talking about an experimental aircraft, in fact, a technology demonstrator, which was not required to set any records.
In total, the Caproni company produced two prototypes of an experimental jet aircraft. The second prototype flew on November 30, 1941. He became a participant in the solemn parade, flying over Piazza Venezia in Rome, where he was personally watched by the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Despite the presence of two flying prototypes, the Italian jet did not have any particular prospects.
Experts agree that the tests of two Italian prototypes Caproni-Campini N.1 can be safely considered successful, especially considering them as technology demonstrators. But such a fighter could not become a production machine. The type of power plant chosen by the Italian designers was unpromising. They realized very quickly that the three-stage turbocharger, which was driven by a piston engine, did not have a broad prospect for further development. The speed of such aircraft could not exceed the speed of ordinary piston fighters with powerful engines. And the Italian aviation industry in a state of war was simply not ready to mass-produce such a complex aircraft. Already at the beginning of 1942, when Italy faced a huge number of more important problems on all fronts of World War II, it was decided to abandon the project completely.
At the end of World War II, one of Campini's experimental aircraft was transferred to Great Britain for study, where traces of this unusual machine are lost. The second prototype safely survived the war and the post-war years, today this copy is exhibited in the Italian Air Force Museum, located in the city of Bracciano. The Caproni Campini Museum N.1 is rightly one of the most interesting and unique exhibits.
It should be noted that not only Italian engineers worked with the combined power plant. The first Soviet high-speed fighter I-250 (MiG-13), built after the war in a small series (28 aircraft), was also equipped with a combined power plant, which included piston and motor-compressor jet engines. These aircraft were in service with the USSR Navy and were much more successful and successful than their Italian counterpart. In the air, they developed a speed of more than 800 km / h.
But even not the most successful project, which was Caproni-Campini N.1, managed to contribute to the development of aviation. This Italian aircraft was the first to use an afterburner, in which additional fuel was burned in the stream, creating additional thrust. In the future, the afterburners of jet engines have found widespread use on all types of combat aircraft, they have become widespread since the 1950s.
Flight performance of Caproni Campini N.1:
Overall dimensions: length - 13.1 m, height - 4.7 m, wingspan - 15, 85 m, wing area - 36 m2.
The empty weight of the aircraft is 3640 kg.
Maximum takeoff weight - 4195 kg.
Power plant - PD Isotta Fraschini L.121 R. C. 40 with 900 hp, driving a three-stage turbocharger.
The maximum flight speed is 375 km / h.
Maximum ceiling (during tests) - 4000 m.
Crew - 2 people
