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Caproni Ca 135

The prototype made its first flight in 4/35 powered by two 800 hp Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI RC Vee engines and driving a wooden two-bladed propeller. The propeller was soon exchanged for a three-bladed metal propeller subsequently accepted for all production versions. The Italian air force felt the Ca.135 had potential and in 1936 ordered 14 examples of the Ca.135 Tipo Spagna (Spanish model), presumably as it was intended to undertake an operational evaluation in the Spanish Civil War. However, none of the aircraft served with the Italian air force in Spain. Trials revealed that the Fiat engines were unreliable and failed to improve performance as significantly as the Piaggio engines, so the few Fiat powered bombers were withdrawn from front-line service and transferred to bomber schools. Thus production of the Ca.135/P.XI was undertaken for a sole export customer, which was the Hungarian air force that received 100 of the type in 1939 and 1940. These aircraft operated with limited success against the Soviets.

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