Caproni Ca.161


The Caproni Ca.161 was an aircraft built in Italy in 1936, in an attempt to set a new world flight [altitude record|altitude record]. It was a conventional biplane with two-bay, staggered wings of equal span, based on Caproni's Ca.113 design. The pressure-suited pilot was accommodated in an open cockpit.

Operational history

On 8 May 1937, Lieutenant Colonel Mario Pezzi broke the world altitude record with a flight to 15,655 m. The following year, Pezzi broke the record again in the more powerful Ca.161bis, making a flight to 17,083 m on 22 October 1938. The Grob [Strato 2C] broke this record for piston-powered crewed airplanes generally in 1995, but as of 2024 it still stands for piston-powered biplanes, and for crewed single-engine piston aircraft.
A final altitude record for floatplanes was set on 25 September 1939 in the float-equipped Ca.161Idro, piloted by Nicola [di Mauro] to 13,542 m. As of 2024, this record also still stands.

Variants

  • Ca.161 – original version with Piaggio P.XI R.C.72 engine
  • Ca.161bis – improved version with Piaggio P.XI R.C.100/2v
  • Ca.161Idro – floatplane version

    Specifications (Ca.161''bis'')

''Data from Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930–1945 apart from weights''