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Borel C.A.P. 2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Role High altitude fighter/reconnaissance
National origin France
Manufacturer Etablissements Borel
First flight May not have flown
Status Abandoned
Number built 1
Developed from Borel-Boccacio Type 3000

The Borel C.A.P. 2, later SGCIM C.A.P. 2, was a prototype, all-metal framed, high-altitude sesquiplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft with a supercharged engine, built in France around 1920. It was displayed, uncovered, at the 1922 Paris Salon.

Design and development

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The C.A.P. 2 shared many external features with the earlier Borel-Boccacio Type 3000, or Borel C.2, a two-seat fighter tested too late for World War I, in 1919.[1] Intended for high altitudes, the C.A.P. 2 had a wing area increased by 23% through an increase in span and was also about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) longer.[1][2] However, unlike the wood-framed C.2, the C.A.P. 2 had a fabric covered all-metal duralumin structure.[2]

It was a two-bay sesquiplane, with 4° of wing sweep and two parallel spars in each of the equal span wings, though the lower wing had 63% of the chord of the top wing. The top wing had 2° of dihedral and the lower wing none.[2]

The C.A.P. 2 was powered by an upright, water-cooled, Hispano-Suiza V-8 engine fitted with a Rateau supercharger. Behind the engine the fuselage was flat-sided and constructed around four longerons, interconnected by frames. There were two open cockpits which were fitted with dual controls. The pilot sat forward under a cut-out in the upper wing trailing edge, and the lower wing also had a cut-out which together, increased the field of view. The rear cockpit was to the rear of the wing and was provided with a gun-ring. Dual controls allowed the gunner to take over in an emergency. The tail was conventional, with a broad-chord, triangular fin which carried a broad rudder of rounded profile which extended down to the lower longerons. Its semi-elliptical tailplane was mounted on top of the fuselage and braced from below with a pair of parallel struts. The elevators were rounded in plan, with a gap between for rudder movement.[2][3]

The fighter had a conventional fixed undercarriage with wheels on a single axle joined by rubber links to a transverse strut mounted on the lower longerons by a V-strut at each end. Its tailskid was wood, unlike the rest of the structure. [2]

Operational history

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It is not known if the C.A.P. 2 was ever flown. It had arrived too late for World War I and may have been exhibited at the 1922 Salon solely for its metal construction, then quite novel. No records of it are known from after the Salon.

Specifications

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Data from Les Ailes, February 1923[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: two
  • Length: 8.17 m (26 ft 10 in)
  • Upper wingspan: 13 m (42 ft 8 in)
  • Height: 2.88 m (9 ft 5 in)
  • Wing area: 39.9 m2 (429 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,750 kg (3,858 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 325 kg (717 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza supercharged V-8, 220 kW (300 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Pierre Lavasseur, 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) diameter

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 248 km/h (154 mph, 134 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft) (estimated)
  • Stall speed: 102 km/h (63 mph, 55 kn) at ground level
  • Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft) (estimated)

See also

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Related lists

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b Green, 1994, p.81
  2. ^ a b c d e f Serryer, 1923, pp.2-3
  3. ^ L'Avion Borel, type C.A.P.-2, 1924, p.403

Bibliography

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  • "L'Avion Borel, type C.A.P.-2". L'Aéronautique. 1922 (December): 403. 1–15 March 1924.
  • Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 81. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.
  • Serryer, J (8 February 1923). "L'avion Borel C.A.P. 2". Les Ailes (88): 2–3.