During WWI Italian aeronautical engineer Gianni Caproni developed a series of multi-engine heavy bombers that played a key role in the Allied strategic bombing campaign. His bombers were produced not only in Italy but also in France, Great Britain and the US. Toward the end of the war the definitive version, the Ca. 36, went into production with Ca. 36s remaining in Italian AF service as late as 1929. The NMUSAF obtained this example from the Museo Aeronautica Caproni di Taliedo in Italy in 1987.