ITALERI 1/48 Fiat CR.42 “Falco” Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary
SUPER DECALS FOR 6 VERSIONS – COLOR INSTRUCTIONS
CONTAINS ONE MODEL – FIGURES NOT INCLUDED
Starting from the great success of the CR 32 “Freccia” biplane, which proved its reliability and operational efficiency during the Spanish Civil War, Fiat developed the new CR 42 “Falco” at the end of the 1930s. The new single-seat biplane fighter had, like its predecessor, a fixed undercarriage and an open cabin but was equipped with some innovations such as the structure entirely in aluminum and steel covered in metal and canvas. Its Fiat A.74 air-cooled radial engine allowed the Fiat CR 42 to reach 400 km/h. It was equipped with extraordinary maneuverability, much appreciated by pilots, but suffered from the limitations of the “biplane” configuration. Able to outperform the Gloster Gladiators, it proved unsuitable to face the much faster and better armed modern Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters. Several Fiat CR 42s, together with the Fiat G 50 fighters and the BR-20 and CANT Z 1007 bombers were also used during the Battle of Britain, part of the Italian Air Corps.