哈坎·古斯塔夫松–角斗士vs CR.42法尔科：1940-41

第二次世界大战初期，英国和意大利的双翼飞机在地中海的克里特岛和马耳他以及东非和北非发生冲突。Gloster Gladiator 和菲亚特 CR.42 Falco 都代表了双翼战斗机发展的巅峰，其血统可以追溯到第一次世界大战。然而，当这两架飞机在 1930 年代后期投入使用时，它们已经过时了。尽管如此，他们在 1940-41 年在地中海和非洲的所有前线都提供了出色的服务。事实上，CR.42 是 1940-41 年在北非和东非、希腊和马耳他上空的 Regia Aeronautica 的主打战斗机，在此期间，其飞行员经常与主要配备角斗士双翼飞机的英国和英联邦中队作战。当盟军试图控制北非、希腊和东非的天空时，这两种类型的人之间发生了一些激烈的混战。这两种类型的飞机主要由经验丰富的战前飞行员驾驶，这反过来又导致了一些激烈的交战。CR.42 和角斗士之间已知的第一次战斗发生在 1940 年 6 月 14 日上空北非，而两型战斗之间的最后一次交战发生在 1941 年 10 月 24 日在东非前线上。

瑞典人 håkan gustavsson has researched the use of biplane fighters in World War II for many years. He runs one of the internet’s oldest and largest aviation sites (surfcity.kund.dalnet.se), featuring biographies of pilots who flew biplane fighters during World War II. He has been in contact with numerous pilot veterans, and their families, over the past two decades, unearthing first-hand accounts and other invaluable material relating to their often forgotten wartime exploits. Ludovico Slongo is a promising aviation historian based in the Italian city of Padova. He has been researching the history of military aviation during World War II for more than 15 years, focusing on pilots, units and operations of the Italian Regia Aeronautica. Together with Håkan Gustavsson, he is working on a number of research projects related to the air war in North Africa and the Mediterranean.