Fiat C.R. 42 Falco 1/72 Scale Models
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Italian C.R. 42 - This is a model of a biplane fighter that flew against the British in Libya in 1941. The C.R. 42 was the Regia Aeronautica's primary fighter when Italy declared war on France and Britain in June 1940. The Italian Air Ministry's misplaced faith in highly maneuverable biplanes grew from the success of the C.R. 42's predecessor, the Fiat C.R. 32, during the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War. The C.R. 42 entered service in 1939, even though the monoplane Fiat G.50 was already in production. One of the most interesting deployments of C.R. 42s occurred in May, 1941, when Mussolini sent a dozen planes from the 155a Squadriglia, 3o Gruppo, 6o Stormo to Iraq to help the Iraqis fight the British. They were repainted with Iraqi markings, but they were still flown by Regia Aeronautica personnel. They conducted strafing missions and saw some action against British Audaxes and Gladiators but arrived too late to make a difference, and left on the 31st, having spent only five days in Iraq. |
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Hungarian C.R. 42 - This is a model of a biplane fighter that participated in the invasion of the Yugoslavia in April, 1941. Hungarian C.R. 42s saw action again later in 1941, after Hungary decided to participate in the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The C.R. 42 was Hungary's primary fighter when the country joined the Axis in November, 1940. Hungary obtained a total of 68 C.R. 42s from Italy in 1939 and 1940. They first saw action during the brief border war with Slovakia in 1939. Belgium also obtained C.R. 42s from Italy, buying 30 planes in early 1940. Many were destroyed on the ground by Luftwaffe air attacks on the first day of the German attack in May. But a handful survived and were used to shoot down several German aircraft before they were destroyed by Belgian airmen when their country surrendered on May 28th. |
More Photos: Left, Right, Top, Front, Rear, Front Angle Right, Rear Angle Right, Front Angle Left, Rear Angle Left |
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Italian C.R. 42AS - This is a model of a biplane fighter bomber that flew ground support missions against Allied positions in North Africa in 1942. By the end of 1941 the Italians had relegated most C.R. 42s to ground support duties because of the increasing availability of more modern MC.200 and MC.202 fighters. "AS" was the designation for C.R. 42s outfitted with carburetor dust filters and underwing bomb racks for ground support duty in North Africa. Some C.R. 42s were also converted to night fighters, necessitated by the British night bombing campaign over Italy. Outfitted with exhaust flame dampers and searchlights, they were designated as C.R. 42CNs. |
More Photos: Left, Right, Top, Front Angle Right, Rear Angle Right, Front Angle Left, Rear Angle Left, Front, Rear |
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German C.R. 42LW - This is a model of a biplane fighter that flew night attacks against Allied ground positions in Italy in 1944. When Italy surrendered in September, 1943, the Germans occupied northern Italy, where Italy's aircraft industry was located. The C.R. 42 was still in production, so the Germans decided they could use it against ground targets. They had Fiat build more than 100 C.R. 42s for them, outfitted with exhaust flame dampers and underwing bomb racks. The Germans used these planes, designated as C.R. 42LWs, until the end of war for night attacks against Allied troops in Italy, and anti-partisan missions in Yugoslavia and southern France. |
More Photos: Left, Right, Top, Front Angle Right, Rear Angle Right, Front Angle Left, Rear Angle Left, Front, Rear |
Fiat C.R. 42 Falco 1/72 Scale Model Kit Box Art
