Caproni Trento F-5

Caproni Trento F-5

Caproni Trento F-5
Role	Lightweight two-seat jet trainer
National origin	Italy
Manufacturer	Aeroplane Caproni Trento
Designed by	Stelio Frati
First flight	20 May 1952
Primary user	Italian Air Force
Number built	1

The Caproni Trento F-5 was a small Italian two-seat trainer designed by Stelio Frati and built by Aeroplane Caproni Trento. The F-5 was not ordered into production and only a prototype was built.

Design and development

By the 1950s the Caproni company had collapsed and could not survive the post-war economic problems, one of the few group members to continue working was Aeroplane Caproni Trento based at Gardola in Trento. Originally involved with aircraft maintenance and support the company decided to design and build a small jet trainer in 1951. The F-5 aircraft was designed by Stelio Frati based on his earlier glider work, it was a low-wing all-wood monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. The engine was a small Turbomeca Palas turbojet located in the fuselage, it had two inlet ducts, one either side of the fuselage and the jet efflux was below the rear fuselage. It had an enclosed cabin with tandem seating for an instructor and pupil and was fitted with a jettisonable canopies.

It was the first jet aircraft developed in post-war Italy, although evaluated by the Italian Air Force it gained little interest and was not ordered into production.

Aircraft on display

The prototype, registered I-FACT, and only F-5 is on display at the Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni in Trento.

Specifications

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft

General characteristics

Performance

References

Notes

Bibliography

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.

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