Fiat CR.42 – Photos & Video

Photo gallery of a Fiat CR.42, The Fiat CR.42 Falco was a single-seat sesquiplane fighter that served primarily in Italy’s Regia Aeronautica before and during World War II. The aircraft was produced by Fiat Aviazione, and entered service, in smaller numbers, with the air forces of Belgium, Sweden and Hungary. With more than 1,800 built, it was the most numerous Italian aircraft in World War II. The CR.42 was the last of the Fiat biplane fighters to enter front line service, and represented the epitome of the type, along with the Gloster Gladiator.

Source: Fiat CR.42 on Wiki

The Fiat CR.42 Falco was a single-seat fighter biplane that was developed and produced by the Italian company Fiat Aviazione in the late 1930s. It was the last biplane fighter to enter service in the world, and it saw action in several theatres of the Second World War, such as Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean. The CR.42 was based on the successful Fiat CR.32, but had a more powerful engine, a Fiat A.74 RC38 radial engine that delivered 840 hp, and a more streamlined fuselage. The CR.42 could reach a maximum speed of 441 km/h, a ceiling of 10,210 m and a range of 780 km.
It was armed with two 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns and could carry up to 200 kg of bombs. The CR.42 was praised by its pilots for its agility and maneuverability, but it was outclassed by faster and more modern monoplane fighters, such as the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The CR.42 was also used in various roles, such as night-fighter, ground-attack and trainer. It was exported to several countries, including Belgium, Sweden and Hungary. A total of 1,781 CR.42s were built between 1939 and 1943.