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| Ca 161 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | High-altitude experimental aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Caproni |
| Designer | |
| History | |
| First flight | 1936 |
TheCaproni Ca.161 was an aircraft built in Italy in 1936, in an attempt to set a new worldaltitude record. It was a conventionalbiplane with two-bay,staggered wings of equal span, based on Caproni'sCa.113 design. The pressure-suited pilot was accommodated in an open cockpit.
On 8 May 1937, Lieutenant ColonelMario Pezzi broke the world altitude record with a flight to 15,655 m (51,362 ft). The following year, Pezzi broke the record again in the more powerfulCa.161bis, making a flight to 17,083 m (56,047 ft) on 22 October 1938.[1] TheGrob 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 forfloatplanes was set on 25 September 1939 in the float-equippedCa.161Idro, piloted byNicola di Mauro to 13,542 m (44,429 ft). As of 2024, this record also still stands.
Data from Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930–1945 apart from weights
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
