When did Breda start in aviation?

Short answer

Breda began building aircraft in 1917. In the early 1920s, already in the civil aviation market, it designed its first military aircraft, the A.3, a night bomber prototype conceived in 1924. It also built the Caproni Ca.5 and Ca.44 bombers under licence.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Curtiss D III Headless Pusher

1917, the aeronautical beginning

Breda began building aircraft in 1917. When the company manufactured aircraft under licence, these generally kept their original designation; this was the case with the Caproni Ca.5 and Ca.44 bombers and the CAB C.1, C.2, SC.4 and SC.5 light aircraft.

The leap to its own design: the A.3

After entering the civil aviation market in the early 1920s, Breda designed its first military aircraft, the A.3. It was a night bomber prototype conceived in 1924 by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda. Its configuration was a sesquiplane, with a biplane tail and four engines arranged in tandem nacelles. Later it was decided to replace the four SPA 6A engines with two Lorraine 12Db V-12s rated at 298 kW (400 hp) each. The modification, however, did not translate into a noticeable improvement in performance, and development of the A.3 was halted.

The production models

Among the firm's production aircraft were the Breda 15, a light two-seat sport biplane from 1930, the Breda 25 and 28 training biplanes, and the Breda 33, a two-seat sport monoplane from 1932.