A highly developed biplane fighter that entered service shortly before World War II and saw combat in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Development
Fiat CR.42 Falco was developed by Fiat Aviazione in Kingdom of Italy as a fighter. The family first flew in 1938 and entered service in 1939. Its recorded airframe configuration is fixed wing, with the family classified in the archive as core combat-aircraft scope.
Operational History
Operationally, Fiat CR.42 Falco is represented primarily in the fighter role. The sourced variant records include service with Regia Aeronautica. Its documented combat-history coverage includes World War II. Role tags attached to the family include air superiority.
Variants and Lineage
Major variants represented in the structured record include CR.42 and CR.42AS.
Variants
| Designation | Type | Role | Recorded operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| CR.42 | Production | Fighter | Regia Aeronautica |
| CR.42AS | Production | Fighter | Regia Aeronautica |
Representative specifications
Configuration-specific profiles are shown separately so values from different variants are not blended into one false “standard” aircraft.
CR.42 — C013 baseline technical profile
- Crew
- 1
Powerplant: 1 × Fiat A.74 RC38 radial
Armament: Two synchronized Breda-SAFAT machine guns in the standard fighter installation.
Sources and further reading
Structured references supporting this aircraft family, variants, specifications, and narrative sections.
- Italian Civil and Military Aircraft, 1930-1945 — Aero Publishers · Tier 3