the flight trials to be undertaken. On 27 May, however, the weather was fair and Caproni decided to make an attempt to fly the Ca.1. Tabacchi managed to have the aircraft take off at the first attempt; it then flew straight and level for a while, but, when the pilot tried to land the aircraft, his lack of experience caused a violent impact with the ground which heavily damaged the aircraft, even though Tabacchi was unscathed. The flight was considered a success, and it proved the worthiness of Caproni's first design. Caproni immediately started repairing the Ca.1 and, at the same time, he started building the Ca.2. The Ca.1 would not fly again, but Tabacchi used it to gain some familiarity with taxiing and other ground maneuvers while waiting for the next aircraft to be ready to fly. Aircraft on display The only example of the Ca.1 survived its operational history and, after being superseded by the Ca.2 and subsequent developments, was stored in a warehouse. Conscious of its historical importance, Caproni preserved it with care. In 1927 Gianni Caproni, with the collaboration of his wife Timina Guasti Caproni, opened the Caproni Museum in Taliedo. The Ca.1 was displayed there in 1939, alongside several other historical aircraft, objects and documents connected to the first pioneer flights in Italy. The museum was closed during the Second World War and the Ca.1 was moved to the villa of the Caproni family in Venegono Superiore in order to be safe from Allied bombings. It remained there until 2007. It underwent a restoration process and was finally put on display in the Volandia aviation museum, not far from the Malpensa Airport. The Ca.1 is the oldest preserved aircraft in Italy. A replica of the Ca.1 was built in the 2000s (decade) by Mario Marangoni; after being on display in Arco for a few days in September 2009, the faithfully rebuilt aircraft participated in the 2010 centennial celebrations that took place at Trento Airport. The aircraft taxied on the runway, but was unable to take off because of the strong wind. Subsequently, the Ca.1 replica was on display at the Gianni Caproni Museum of Aeronautics (adjacent to the Trento Airport) for a brief period. Specifications References Bibliography (Reprinted in a facsimile edition edited by Romano Turrini (2004). Trento: Il Sommolago – Museo dell'Aeronautica G. Caproni – Comune di Arco.) Ca.001 (1910) 1910s Italian experimental aircraft