1933 Stipa-Caproni Aircraft

The Stipa-Caproni was an experimental Italian aircraft designed in 1932 by Luigi Stipa (1900--1992) and built by Caproni. It featured a hollow, barrel-shaped fuselage with the engine and propeller completely enclosed by the fuselage—in essence, the whole fuselage was a single ducted fan. Although the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) was not interested in pursuing development of the Stipa-Caproni, its design was an important step in the development of jet propulsion. Source: Follow us!