Belgiun CR 42s

[Peter I.]

Hi Guys,

I am currently writing an article for KIT, the magazine of the Belgian IPMS, about the Fiat CR 42 in service with the Belgian air force (Aeronautique Militaire) in the Spring of 1940.

Unfortunately (or should I say, as usual ) the various sources contradict one another. In Ali d'Italia the camo is described as Giallo Mimetico 2 or 3, with Verde Mimetico squiggles, while other sources suggest a 3 colour upper camo, wich also includes Bruno Mmimetico.

I would have uess that these aircraft, as they came from the normal production for the Regia Aeronautica, would have the three colour camo.

Any suggestions?

Kind regards,

Peter

[D520]

As a matter of fact the falcos delivered to the Belgium Air Force were in the tree tone camo. The same mistake has been made with the Finnish G-50. On the film used during this periods, the Marrone mimetico di not show up as it should have, which, in turn, does not mean it was not present!

[Lubos Pavel]

Hello Peter I.,
I've bought the following photo of the Fiat Cr.42 Falco on E-Bay and I think this is one of the Belgian Falcos captured by Germans in 1940. I hope it help you.

Best Regards.
Lubos Pavel

[modeldad]

There is reason to not accept that "all" Fiat CR 42 aircraft were painted the same.

http://www.stormomagazine.com/Articles/ ... _1940.html

The British also reported BR 20 aircraft in only a yellow base with green. No brown or maroon.

The Finnish references are reliable.

[telsono]

Some of the black and white film used in the 1930's and 40's had a red bias. This caused red hued paints such as browns and Marron to show up faintly or disapear from view. In those pictures of the British captured CR.42 "13-95" if you look very carefully at a good quality picture of it after it crashed, you will faintly see the missing pattern. The clarity of the "in flight" picture actually only shows touchups by the British on the rudder and fuselage side to hide the previous markings. Note how carefully the roundels were placed to hide the previous Italian markings and not in the typical British fashion. I followed those faint markings that I could see on the crashed pictures to the "in flight" picture and they were exactly in the same locations. We are lucky that a second picture with black and white film not with a red bias was used as well.

Remember that all the CR 42's that were used in Blegium came straight from the factory to replace the mounts the squadron had already been assigned. Further pictures of the CR 42's of the Expeditionary Force in Belgium shows a similar pattern to the "in flight".

Factory application of camoflage on aircraft by FIAT seemed to vary wildly from spots to splotches. This probably followed the instructions from a factory supervisor or manager at the time and their interpertation of the Regia Aeronuatica instructions in my opinion.

I have seen pictures of RAF aircraft (not Pacific theaster) with the center dot of the roundel, which we knew to be red, absent or faint compared to the blue portion of it. Just another example of the effects of the red bias.

Mike T.

[modeldad]

I would like to see examples of these "red bias" films. A common film used by the British was orthochromatic film which made reds look dark as well as yellows. Blue was quite pale.

I cannot recall one picture which shows the red of the roundel or fin flash to be non-existent.

The other issue is the recorded fact of independent observers.

[telsono]

Steven

There was a discussion either in one of my books about this matter or on an online forum with one of the authors of books about this. I'll try to find the article.

Look at the Re.2005. For a long time it was assumed that the spinners on the 3 used by the ANR were dark olive in color. Now they are considered to be red from better photographic study and also eyewitness comments.

Again if you look at the picture of the CR.42 in question the dark patterns shown on the crashed picture are the dark olive green. In the inflight picture, if the Brits added the paint, they were really careful to make the earth brown appear to be below the green.

Mike T.