Four Caproni Ca310s were delivered to the Norwegian Army Air Service, further deliveries were halted when WW 2 broke out. The Norwegian aircraft were acquired as part of a dried and salted cod (Klippfisk) barter deal between Norway and Italy. One of the aircraft survives and is extensively renovated here at the Flyhistorik Museum in Sola.

Norway ordered four Ca.310 bombers in 1938. After an eventful delivery flight from Italy, 503 was the first one to arrive at Kjeller on 13 October. Asbjørn Barlaup took a series of photos of 503 and this is almost certainly that same aircraft even though the serial is unreadable. The same airframe was employed on an Oslo - Gothenburg - Copenhagen night mail service for three months in 1939, registered as LN-DAK. Photo by: Asbjørn Barlaup / Nasjonalbiblioteket (Norway)

Developed by Caproni Bergamaschi, the company's Bergamo branch, the Ca.310 was a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft first flown on 20 February 1937. Large numbers of Ca.310, Ca.311, Ca.312, Ca.313 and Ca.314 models were ordered as combat, maritime patrol or training aircraft by Italy, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Peru, and even France, Britain and Germany. Due to world events, many of the orders were not fulfilled, while the planes were strongly disliked in Hungarian, Norwegian and Swedish service. Serial MM20809 confirmed beyond doubt by another photo. Ca.134 MM330 is on the left. 'Dux' is the Latin form of Duce. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

More a patrol and training aircraft than a fully fledged bomber, the Ca.313 attracted large orders from France and Britain, but these were cancelled by Italy's entry in WWII. A 900-aircraft German order also remained largely unfulfilled. Delivery of 84 machines to Sweden was completed, however. Here the Caproni was reputed to be a flying coffin. The cabin of this one does appear to be alarmingly flimsy, but this is only a non-airworthy flying replica, containing a few original parts. In fact I'm told the aircraft was quite good in itself, but suffering from unreliable engines and systems.