page_title: Fiat CR.42
section_title: Design
hierarchical_section_title: Fiat CR.42 / Design
caption_attribution_description: This aircraft (MM5701) was based in Belgium in th Autumn of 1940 as part of the Corpo Aereo Italiano, the Italian Air Force element involved in the Battle of Britain. On November 11th 1940 while on a escort mission over England, flown by Sergente Pietro Savadori, its engine overheated and the pilot made a forced landing on the shingle beach at Orford Ness, Suffolk. It was subsequently test flown by Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown who was impressed by its manoeuvrability noted that it was underarmed. Photo ref; Nikon-D80-2013-DSC_1256 (Edited)
context_page_description: The Fiat CR.42 Falco was a single-seat sesquiplane fighter developed and produced by Italian aircraft manufacturer Fiat Aviazione. It served primarily in Italy's Regia Aeronautica both before and during the Second World War.
  The CR.42 was an evolutionary design of Fiat’s earlier CR.32 fighter, featuring a more powerful supercharged Fiat A.74R1C.38 air-cooled radial engine and aerodynamic improvements to its relatively clean exterior surfaces. The aircraft proved to be relatively agile in flight, a factor that had been attributed to its very low wing loading and a sometimes decisive tactical advantage. RAF Intelligence praised its exceptional maneuverability, further noting that "the plane was immensely strong", though it was technically outclassed by faster, more heavily armed monoplanes. While primarily used as a fighter, various other roles were adopted for some variants of the type, such as the CR.42CN dedicated night fighter model, the CR.42AS ground attack aircraft, and the CR.42B Biposto twin-seat trainer aircraft.
  During May 1939, the CR.42 entered service with the Regia Aeronautica; it was the last of the Fiat biplane fighters to enter front line service.
context_section_description: The Fiat CR.42 was a robust and relatively clean single-seat biplane fighter aircraft; in spite of the biplane configuration of the aircraft, it was a modern, "sleek-looking" design, based around a strong steel and alloy structure. The CR.42 was furnished with fixed main landing gear, the legs of which were attached to the underside of the lower wing stubs; both the legs wheels were enclosed within streamlined fairings for aerodynamic reasons. The upper wing was larger than its lower wing, a configuration known as a sesquiplane. The aircraft proved to be exceptionally agile in flight, a characteristic which had been attributed to be a result of the fighter's very low wing loading. The very strong structure of the fighter enabled pilots to perform virtually all manoeuvres. Shortcomings of the CR.42 included its slower speed in comparison to monoplanes, and a lack of armour, firepower and radio equipment.
  The CR.42 was typically powered by a single supercharged Fiat A.74R1C.38 air-cooled radial engine which, via a gearing apparatus, drove a metal three-blade Fiat-Hamilton Standard 3D.41-1 propeller of 2.9 metres (9 ft 6 in) diameter. During the aircraft's development, particular attention was paid to the design of the NACA cowling which accommodated the engine; the cowling featured a series of adjustable flaps for cooling purposes. The engine bay incorporated a fire extinguisher to be used in the event of a fire. In terms of armament, the early CR.42s were outfitted with a single 7.7 mm and one 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, which was installed in the decking of the upper fuselage and fired directly through the propeller. As per Italian tradition, a counter for the rounds fired was present amongst the cockpit's instrumentation.
  The fuselage of the CR.42 was composed of a welded steel-tube triangulated framework built of light-alloy formers; while the forward fuselage was covered by metal panelling, fabric covered the exterior rear of the cockpit. The rigidly-braced wings used a structure that was constructed mainly of light duralumin alloys and steel; the leading edge was metal-skinned while the rest of the wing's exterior was covered with fabric. The upper wing, which was the only one to be furnished with ailerons, was joined in the center and supported above the fuselage via an inverted 'V'-shaped cabane, while the lower wings were directly attached onto the longerons within the base of the fuselage. The tail unit used a cantilever arrangement, composed of a duralumin framework and fabric covering.
caption: A preserved Fiat CR.42
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