S. E. Hutton Collection of Caproni Materials
Collection
Identifier: 1998-11-12
The S. E. Hutton Collection of Caproni Materials contains items related to the United States Army Air Service program to construct Caproni Ca.44 (Military Ca.5, Ca.600) aircraft in Italy at the end of World War I. The collection is comprised primarily of two (2) reports written by S. E. Hutton detailing the project, including the instruction given to U.S. servicemen at the Caproni, Fiat, and Isotta-Fraschini plants, and detailed specifications and procedures relating to the construction, assembly, and operation of the aircraft. The reports include numerous blueprints and original photographs detailing the work and components, as well as several group photographs of the servicemen and officers involved in the project.
Dates
- 1918-1919
Creator
- Hutton, S. E. (Person)
Language of Materials
All materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.
Conditions Governing Use
The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.
Extent
0.2 Cubic Feet (1 half width letter size document box)
Abstract
Sergeant Sol E. Hutton served with the U.S. Army Air Service in Italy during World War I, where he worked with Caproni on aircraft construction. The collection contains items related to the U.S. Air Service program to build Caproni Ca.44 (Military Ca.5, Ca.600) aircraft at the end of the war.
Historical Note
The materials in this collection relate to a project in which one hundred (100) mechanics and officers from the United States Army Air Service were instructed on construction of the Caproni Ca.44 (Military Ca.5/Ca.600) aircraft. The group was primarily comprised of members of the 10th Company, 3rd Motor Mechanics.
The majority of the company was sent to the Caproni factory in Taliedo, Italy in August 1918 under Captain J. A. Short. These men received instruction on aircraft assembly and began to build biplanes under Sergeant Charles H. Cooper. A contingent of twenty-four (24) men was stationed at the Fiat Factory in Turin, Italy under Captain J. S. M. Eley from August to October 1918, then relocated to the Isotta-Fraschini plant in Milan. These men received instruction in motor work. Sergeant Sol E. Hutton served with several other men at Taliedo to document technical data and draft reports on the work.
The Caproni Ca.44 was part of the Ca.5 model series of biplane bombers and is often known as the Caproni Ca.600 due to its three (3) engines producing 600HP. The American project to build these models produced only five (5) complete planes due to the armistice in November eliminating the immediate need for more.
Sources and Further Reading:
Robert B. Casari. Encyclopedia of U.S. military aircraft, vol. 2. Chillicothe, Ohio : Robert B. Casari, 1970.
Michael J. H. Taylor, et al. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. New York: Crescent Books, 1993.
The majority of the company was sent to the Caproni factory in Taliedo, Italy in August 1918 under Captain J. A. Short. These men received instruction on aircraft assembly and began to build biplanes under Sergeant Charles H. Cooper. A contingent of twenty-four (24) men was stationed at the Fiat Factory in Turin, Italy under Captain J. S. M. Eley from August to October 1918, then relocated to the Isotta-Fraschini plant in Milan. These men received instruction in motor work. Sergeant Sol E. Hutton served with several other men at Taliedo to document technical data and draft reports on the work.
The Caproni Ca.44 was part of the Ca.5 model series of biplane bombers and is often known as the Caproni Ca.600 due to its three (3) engines producing 600HP. The American project to build these models produced only five (5) complete planes due to the armistice in November eliminating the immediate need for more.
Sources and Further Reading:
Robert B. Casari. Encyclopedia of U.S. military aircraft, vol. 2. Chillicothe, Ohio : Robert B. Casari, 1970.
Michael J. H. Taylor, et al. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. New York: Crescent Books, 1993.
Biographical Note
Sergeant Sol E. Hutton served in the U.S. Amy Air Service during World War I and was part of a group of men sent to the Caproni factory in Taliedo, Italy to learn aircraft assembly. Hutton's role was to document the work and authored several reports on the instruction and assembly progress. No further information is known about Hutton.
Source:
Biographical note derived from collection materials.
Source:
Biographical note derived from collection materials.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Existence and Location of Copies
Materials from this collection have been digitized and are available at The Museum of Flight Digital Collections.
Separated Materials
The following items have been separated from the archival component of this collection and are kept in Objects storage:
- Four wood model propellers
- One Caproni badge
- One Dixie magneto
- One generator
- One switch case
- Airplanes -- Design and construction
- Airplanes, Military
- Caproni
- Caproni Ca.3
- Caproni Ca.44 (Military Ca.5, Ca.600)
- Caproni, Gianni, 1886-1957
- Fiat
- Fiat A.12
- Hutton, S. E.
- Isotta Fraschini
- Isotta Fraschini V.6
- Italy
- Soldiers
- United States. Army. Air Service
- World War, 1914-1918
- blueprints (reprographic copies)
- correspondence
- photographic prints
- technical drawings
- technical reports
Creator
- Hutton, S. E. (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the S. E. Hutton Collection of Caproni Materials
- Status
- Completed - Level 4
- Author
- A. Demeter
- Date
- 2017
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Sponsor
- Processing, cataloging and digitization of this collection was made possible by a Council on Libraries and Information Resources (CLIR) "Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives" grant.
- Edition statement
- 1st Edition
Revision Statements
- November 2018: Finding aid migrated to ArchivesSpace.
Repository Details
Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository
Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org