CR.42 captured by the Brits - nice photos

[warhawk]

Thought it would be good to share photos on this page... Quite interesting camouflage...

http://pwm.org.pl/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4981&start=45

Regards
Aleksandar

[Daniele Gatti]

This is the famous CR.42 MM.5701 Salvadori..



It's in the typical Fiat camouflage scheme with minor adjustments made by RAF on the rudder, under the nose and the markings..

[warhawk]

The wings also look touched-up to me...

[Daniele Gatti]

Dear Aleksandar,
It's highly unlikely that the British were more good remake of Michelangelo for the exact Fiat camouflage without ruining the "hypothetical" Italian camouflage, who knows why, "should" be different from all other CR.42..

No, I think that the pictures of the CR.42's Salvadori in Italian camouflage are simply "deceive" the fact of having or not having the third color..

It was a simple Fiat CR.42 in the normal italian camo..

That picture of English source post "restoration" of the RAF simply show better..



The British had something else to think that artists do on a pair of wings ..

[Aeroal]

Hello everyone,

If you think that the RAF touched up various mottles, other than to paint out the Regia Aeronautica markings and replace them with British cockades, I would very much doubt it.

Spraying mottles is alien to British camouflage practice. I am not saying it never happened, but it is highly unlikely. To reinforce this, I need only refer to the CR42's present colour scheme, which is a travesty of the real thing. Note that this was applied in peacetime with presumably the full facilities of the Royal Air Force preservation and conservation centre.

They only applied a two colour scheme, missing out the marrone mimetico and the mottles are hard edged, as though they were sprayed through a mask. The last time I saw it, some five or six years ago, it looked rather unloved, with the windshield cracked and yellowing. Just my tuppenceworth.

Regards,

Aeroal.

[Daniele Gatti]

I agree with Aeroal..