DISCONTINUED Azur 72088 Caproni Ca.310  Yugoslavian, Croatian and Hungarian Marking

The Caproni Ca.310 Libeccio was an Italian reconnaissance low-wing light bomber with a mixed design and retractable landing gear. The drive was provided by two motors Piaggio P. VIII C. 35 with 470 hp each. The prototype flight took place in 1937. Serial production began in 1938, ending with the production of approximately 310 aircraft of this type. The aircraft was armed with 3 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns and a load of up to 400 kg of bombs.

The Caproni Ca.310 was created as a development of another machine of the same company - the Caproni Ca.309 aircraft. Compared to its predecessor, the Ca.310 differed primarily in its retractable in-flight landing gear, as well as the use of completely new engines. Originally, the machine was built for the civilian market, but the Italian military aviation (owned by Regia Aeronautica) quickly became interested in it, which introduced a properly subsidized Ca.310 to the line in 1938. The aircraft of this type, however, did not turn out to be a successful design: it had poor performance, average maneuverability, and above all, it was plagued by numerous mechanical problems and design flaws that reduced its combat capabilities. The Ca.310 underwent its baptism of fire in the final period of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and later fought in North Africa in 1940-1942. Machines of this type were sold to Norway, Peru and Hungary.