Fiat CR.42 Falco

The Fiat CR.42 Falco ("Falcon") was a biplane which served as the primary fighter aircraft of Italy's Regia Aeronautica at the outbreak of World War II. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1288x966, 160 KB) Summary This picture may have usage restrictions - Fiat CR.42 aka swedish J11 Falco Source:Own picture Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Fiat CR.42 ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1288x966, 160 KB) Summary This picture may have usage restrictions - Fiat CR.42 aka swedish J11 Falco Source:Own picture Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Fiat CR.42 ... Fiat S.p. ... Hs123 biplane. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... The Regia Aeronautica, during World War II, was the Italian air force. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War (sometimes WW2 or WWII), was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as...

Development

The epitome of a biplane fighter, CR.42 represented evolution of the Italian designs starting with Fiat CR.20 and progressing through the successful Fiat CR.32. Although the age of the biplane was coming to an end when CR.42 entered service in 1939, Regia Aeronautica had high expectations for their new fighter thanks to the success seen by CR.32 during Spanish Civil War. In spite of the biplane scheme, CR.42 was a rather modern design with steel and duraluminum frame covered with fabric and a NACA cowling around the radial engine. At the same, CR.42 oddly lacked armor and radio equipment. The aircraft proved exceptionally agile thanks to its very low wing loading. 1. ... Fiat CR.32 The Fiat CR.32 was a Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and WW2. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1939: Events January January 12 - the RAF Auxiliary Air Force Reserve is formed February February 9 - Alex Henshaw sets a new speed record for the round trip between England and Cape Town in 4 days 10 minutes in a Percival Mew... The Regia Aeronautica, during World War II, was the Italian air force. ... The Spanish Civil War (July 1936–April 1939) was a conflict in which the incumbent Second Spanish Republic and left-wing groups fought against a right-wing nationalist rebellion led by Generalisimo Francisco Franco, who succeeded in overthrowing the Republican government and establishing a dictatorship. ... The old steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... Duralumin (or duraluminum) is an alloy of aluminium (about 95%), copper (about 4%), and small amounts of magnesium (0. ... NACA cowling on a Curtis AT-5A at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, October 1928 The NACA cowling is a type of aerodynamic fairing used to streamline radial engines for use on airplanes. ... In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. ...

Operational history

When Italy entered World War II on June 10, 1940, Regia Aeronautica had 143 CR.42 in its squadrons. The aircraft first saw combat during the Italian campaign against Southern France flying bomber escort for Fiat BR.20 as well as strike missions against French airfields. On June 15, 1940, CR.42 shot down 3 Bloch MB.152 and 5 Dewoitine D.520 fighters at the loss of 5 aircraft. On November 11, 1940, CR.42 flew their first raid against Great Britain. However, German Luftwaffe aircraft had difficulty flying in formation with the slow biplanes which also proved to be no match for the modern British fighters and CR.42 were transferred back to the mediterranean theatre. The fighter was widely used in North Africa, although largely in the ground attack role. When production was stopped in 1942, a total of 1,781 CR.42 were built. Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War (sometimes WW2 or WWII), was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1940: Events March March 16 - Britain suffers its first civilian air-raid casualties of the war after a raid by KG 26 on Scapa Flow March 25 - the US government grants permission to the countrys aircraft manufacturers to sell advanced... The Regia Aeronautica, during World War II, was the Italian air force. ... The Fiat BR.20 Cicogna (Italian: stork) was a twin engined bomber in the Italian Regia Aeronautica during World War II. History The BR.20 was first flown at Turin in 1936, and shortly after this first flight the aircraft became central to the propaganda campaign showcasing Italian engineering achievements. ... The Bloch MB-150 was a French low-wing, all metal monoplane fighter aircraft with retractable landing gear and closed cockpit developed by Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch as a contendor in the 1934 French air ministry competition for a new fighter design. ... The Dewoitine D.520 was a French fighter aircraft that started entering service just prior to the opening of World War II. It was the only design that came close to being a match for the latest German types like the Messerschmitt Bf 109, but French building priorities were so... The Luftwaffe â–¶(?) (German: air force, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1942: Events January January 30 - Canadian Pacific Air Lines formed by the acquisition and merger of Arrow Airways and Canadian Airways, along with all the various subsidiaries of the latter. ...

CR.42 was exported to Hungary, Belgium, and Sweden. The Hungarian aircraft were used in the ground attack role against USSR until December 1941. Belgium ordered 34 CR.42 in 1939 with only a small number delivered before the war began. It is unclear whether any of the Belgian aircraft actually participated in combat. Sweden received 72 CR.42 which were equipped with radios, 20 mm (0.8 in) armor plate behind the pilot, and ski landing gear. Swedish aircraft were designated J-11. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1941: Events Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to fly a bomber across the Atlantic Ocean. ...

Variants

• CR.42 were usually armed with 2x 12.7 mm machine guns; in order to save weight and improve dogfighting ability, often a field modification was carried out, replacing one of the 12.7 mm machine guns with a 7.62 mm machine gun. .
• CR.42AS - modified for desert conditions in North Africa (AS - Africa Settentrionale; North Africa); additional engine filter to prevent damage from sand. The filter caused a limited loss in horsepower, but this was a common occurrence in North Africa, since filterless engines could be expected to be damaged after only a few hours.
• CR.42B - one aircraft equipped with the Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, estimated maximum speed 520 km/h (323 mph).
• CR.42bis - 4x 12.7 mm machine guns with two additional guns mounted in blisters under the wings.
• CR.42CN - night fighter version with spotlights in gondolas under the wings and prolonged engine exhausts.
• ICR.42 - experimental floatplane version designed by CMASA, top speed decreased by only 8 km/h (5 mph) in spite of the 124 kg (273 lb) increase in weight.
• CR.42 Bombe Alari - (not an official production name, but a widely used one) Modification carried out at SRAMs (repair centers) , to allow outdated fighters to be used in ground attack roles. Underwing pylons for 2x50 Kg bombs were added ; often these pylons were even loaded with 100 Kg bombs. Same modification was carried on on Fiat G50 s and Macchi C 200 s.

The Daimler-Benz DB 601 was a German aircraft engine built during World War II. It was a liquid-cooled inverted V12, and powered the Messerschmitt Bf 109, among others. ... A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night, or in other times of bad visibility. ...

Users

• Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Sweden, Germany.

Specifications (CR.42)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 9.70 m (31 ft 10 in) top wing; 6.50 m (21 ft 4 in) bottom wing
• Height: 3.06 m (10 ft)
• Wing area: 22.4 m² (241.0 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,782 kg (3,920 lb)
• Loaded weight: 2,295 kg (5,049 lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Fiat A.74 RIC38, 627 kW (840 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 343 km/h (213 mph) near the ground, 441 km/h (274 mph) at altitude
• Cruise speed: 399 km/h (248 mph)
• Range: 780 km (485 miles)
• Service ceiling: 10,210 m (33,500 ft)
• Maximum rate of climb: 11.8 m/s (39 ft/s)
• Wing loading: 102 kg/m² (21 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.27 kW/kg (0.17 hp/lb)

In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. ... Power-to-weight ratio is a measure commonly used when comparing various vehicles (or engines), including automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft. ...

Armament

• 2x 12.7 mm machine guns, 400 rounds/gun; up to 200 kg (4400 lb) of bombs on two wing hardpoints

References

Kopenhagen, W (ed.), Das groβe Flugzeug-Typenbuch, Transpress, 1987, ISBN 3344001620

External links

Related content

Designation sequence

Fiat CR.20 - Fiat CR.30 - Fiat CR.32 - Fiat CR.42 Fiat CR.32 The Fiat CR.32 was a Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and WW2. ...

Related development

Similar aircraft

Gloster Gladiator - Polikarpov I-153 The Gloster Gladiator was a biplane fighter, used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, during World War II. The aircraft had a top speed of around 414 km/h. ... Polikarpov I-153 The Polikarpov I-153 Chaika (Seagull; Russian Чайка) was a late 1930s Soviet biplane fighter. ...

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See also

External links