Borel C.A.P. 2
| 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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]Related lists
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- "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.