The F.5 was developed in parallel with the Caproni Vizzola F.4, with which it shared a common airframe. Design began in late 1937 by a team led by F. Fabrizi. The aircraft had a welded steel-tube fuselage and wooden wings; the fuselage was covered with flush-riveted duralumin, while the wing had a stressed plywood skin. The F.5 (standing for Fabrizi 5) had a two-row 14-cylinder Fiat A.74 R.C. 38 radial engine, unlike its cousin the F.4, which Fabrizi and his design team intended to be powered by a water-cooled engine. The F.4 project was not pursued immediately because the Italian Air Ministry held its proposed engine in disfavor, but development of the F.5 continued.^[2]

The F.5 prototype first flew on 19 February 1939. The aircraft displayed very high maneuverability during official testing, prompting an order for both a second prototype and 12 preproduction models. The last of the preproduction aircraft was selected for use as a prototype in a renewed F.4 program, but the rest of the F.5 order was delivered to the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force).^[2]

No F.5 production models were built as Caproni decided to produce the more developed Caproni Vizzola F.6M fighter instead.

The Regia Aeronautica assigned the 11 preproduction F.5 fighters to the 300° Squadriglia, 51° Stormo for operational use. By 1942, they were serving as night fighters in the 167° Gruppo.^[2]

The F.5 was offered to foreign customers. It has been said^{[by whom?]} that the Aeroplani Caproni subsidiary in Peru acquired the license rights for local manufacture, but no F.5s were ever built in Peru.

F.5

Prototype and preproduction aircraft, powered by a Fiat A.74 R.C. 38 radial engine, 13 built, plus a 14th airframe which was completed as the Caproni Vizzola F.4.

F.5bis

One re-engined F.5, powered with an 1175 h.p. Alfa Romeo R.A.I000 R.C.44-la Monsonie (Monsoon) (license-built DB 601A-l) engine.

F.5 Gamma

A one- or two-seat advanced trainer powered by a 540 h.p. Isotta Fraschini Gamma R.C.35 IS alr-cooled engine, armed with one 7.7-mm. Breda-SAFAT machine gun, with an estimated maximum speed of 254 m.p.h. Not proceeded with.

  Kingdom of Italy

• Regia Aeronautica

Data from Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930-1945 ^[1]

General characteristics

• Length: 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
• Height: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)
• Wing area: 17.6 m² (189 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,850 kg (4,079 lb)
• Gross weight: 2,238 kg (4,934 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Fiat A.74 R.C.38 14-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, 649 kW (870 hp) at take-off

Performance

• Maximum speed: 510 km/h (320 mph, 280 kn)
• Range: 770 km (480 mi, 420 nmi) at 455 km/h (283 mph)
• Service ceiling: 9,500 m (31,200 ft)
• Time to altitude: 6,500m (21,325ft) in 6 min 30 s

Armament

• Guns: 2 × 12.7 mm (0.5 in) forward-firing Breda-SAFAT machine guns

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Caproni Vizzola F.4

• Donald, David, ed. (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Prospero Books. p. 232. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
• Garello, Giancarlo (June 2001). "La chasse de nuit italienne (1ère partie: les débuts)" [Italian Night Fighters: The Beginning]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (99): 19–24. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Every Fighter Aircraft Built and Flown. New York: SMITHMARK Publishers, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.