CAPRONI CA 20

The Caproni Ca.20 was a prototype Italian fighter plane in a monoplane layout with a fixed landing gear. The drive was provided by a single engine Rhone of French production . The prototype flight took place in 1914. The plane never entered mass production. It was armed with a single 7.7mm Lewis machine gun. The Caproni Ca.20 is often considered the first completely new-built fighter in the history of aviation. Its construction was based on proven elements and technical solutions used in the Caproni Ca.18 and Caproni Ca.16 machines. Unlike them, however, it had a changed shape of the front part of the fuselage, providing better aerodynamic properties, a more powerful engine and had an on-board machine gun. Despite the good Ca.20 performance, the command of the Italian armed forces rejected the project in favor of creating bomber planes. The only surviving specimen is on display at the Seattle Aviation Museum.