Borel C.A.P. 2

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]

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.

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)

Related lists

• List of fighter aircraft