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Italeri 1/72 FIAT CR.42 Falco (Hawk) by Giovanni Di Nocera |
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This was Italy's last combat biplane and one of the best of its kind. Between February 1939 and June 1943, a total of 1,781 came off the assembly line, with construction even resuming in 1944 under the Germans. Construction proceeded almost without interruption, even alongside the newer fighters such as such as the Fiat G.50, the Macchi MC.200, and the Macchi MC.202. The CR.42 had its roots in the Fiat CR.32, a highly manoeuvrable airplane that was fairly fast and well armed, which had been designed in the early 1930s. Because of the operational, technical, and military success of this airplane, Italian authorities placed the CR.42 into production as an interim fighter until the newer monoplane fighters were ready - the CR.42 was not offically part of the "R" Program (the moderinsation of the Regia Aeronautica). Celestino Rosatelli, who was responsible for the CR.32 outdid himself in producing the CR.42. The prototype of the 'Falco' (Falcon) first took to the air on May 23, 1938. The CR.42 had the same general form as its predecessor. It was a single-seat biplane with an all-metal skeleton and a composite skin of duralumin and fabric. A sesquiplane structure with W-shape struts and steel cables, it was sturdy and aerodynamically clean. The fixed under-carriage was faired, and the cockpit was open. The armament consisted of a pair of 12.7 mm Safat machine guns mounted on the hood of the engine and synchronized to fire through the propeller disc. Each gun had 400 rounds. The CR.42 had a different engine from its predecessor. Instead of the 600 hp Fiat A.30 RA inline engine of the CR.32, the new airplane was powered by an 840 hp Fiat A.74 RC 38 14-cylinder radial, which drove a three-blade metal propeller with variable pitch. A radial engine was chosen for reasons of safety in combat. It was simpler, and because it was free of radiators, tubes, and cooling tanks, it was less vulnerable than a liquid-cooled engine. The prototype's test flights were successful, and it attracted attention in Italy and abroad. The Italian Air Force placed a first order for 200 aircraft, Hungary ordered 50 airplanes, Belgium ordered 34, and Sweden ordered 72. The first Italian unit to receive CR.42s was the 53o Stormo, which was equipped with the airplane in May 1939. When Italy entered the war, 300 airplanes had been built, but the first CR.42s to see military service were those which had been sold to Belgium. The Belgian airplanes went into combat on May 10, 1940, when the Germans attacked. The Belgians shot down three enemy airplanes but suffered heavy losses, most of them being airplanes destroyed on the ground. One month later the Italian CR.42s went into combat. They took part in the rapid French campaign and then in the campaign over the English Channel. They also saw service in Greece, the Mediterranean, and in Africa. The airplane was used most intensively in Africa. The last air duels between biplanes took place there. The CR.42s faced Gloster Gladiators, which were also the last of a generation.
As the Italian monoplane fighters appeared, the CR.42 was gradually reassigned to other roles, including bomber escort, reconnaissance and observation, ground attack, and night fighting. The ground attack version was slightly modified by the addition of two wing racks for a pair of 220 pound (99 kg) bombs. More extensive alterations were made for night fighting: a radio was installed, along with two photoelectric cells under the wings, and exhausts with fireproof shrouds to hide their glow at night. It did not have an extensive career in this role, although night-fighter CR.42 units were based in several Italian cities. Of the 113 airplanes that were still in service in September 1943, some were turned into two-seat trainers (Fiat CR.42B) and continued in service until the 1950s. Other variants were considered during production: A seaplane version was considered (CMASA ICR.42), along with a model with retractable under-carriage and one with a 1,000 hp Daimler Benz in-line engine (Fiat CR.42DB), however none of these planes were placed into production. Reference: E. Angelucci and P. Matricardi, "World Aircraft, World War II - Part I", Samspon Low Guides, Berkshire House, 1978. |
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The CR.42 demonstrated operational reliability during World War II. Developed at the end of the 1930s, it had a steel/aluminium structure and was equipped with a Fiat A.74 engine, with a speed of approximately 400 km/h. During its operational life the plane mainly encountered the English Gloster Gladiator as well as Hurricanes, and for teh most part the plane held its own thanks to the virtues of its pilots. Italeri's recent kit is a new model, which has many positive attributes: - reasonable price - well printed decals - very useful reference booklet - large number of options Starting with the interior, I noticed that it is quite detailed for a 1/72 scale kit. The interior details from what you can see is well done, although I bought a Zoom set of photo-etched pieces, I left it alone, I only gave it a little depth and added the visible parts, such as the dashboard and side consoles and seat belts.
Paints used were: Vallejo, Italeri and Mig, in the end I highlighted everything with a light coat of Van Dick gray oil paint, closing the whole thing with a Matt, bought in a fine arts shop. The airbrushes used are Chinese clones, which I have been using for years and they work excellent. Conclusion: a simple, but well detailed kit; which gave me wonderful days of modeling. |
Aircraft: Fiat CR.42 Manufacturer: FIAT S.A. Type: Fighter Year: 1939 Engine: FIAT A.74 RC 38, 14-cyclinder radial, air-cooled, 870hp Wingspan: 31 ft 10 in (9.70 m) Length: 27 ft 3 in (8.30 m) Height: 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m) Weight: 5,060 lb (2,295 kg) (Loaded) Maximum Speed: 273 mph (440 km/h) at 19,685 ft (6,000 m) Ceiling: 34,450 ft (10,500 m) Range: 490 miles (785 km) Armament: 2 x 12.7mm SAFAT machine guns; 2 x 220.5 lb (100 kg) bombs Crew: 1 |
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