{"id":31937180,"date":"2026-11-09T11:33:12","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T10:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T11:33:37","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T10:33:37","slug":"fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/","title":{"rendered":"Fiat CR.42 Falco: The Italian Biplane That Raided Britain in 1940"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\r\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\r\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\r\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\r\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\r\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\r\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta svg{width:16px;height:16px}\r\n.mfsh-overlay{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(15,23,32,.55);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;justify-content:center;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s}\r\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\r\n.mfsh-sheet{width:100%;max-width:520px;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;padding:18px 20px 28px;transform:translateY(24px);transition:transform .22s;box-shadow:0 12px 32px rgba(15,23,32,.25);font-family:inherit;max-height:92vh;overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\r\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open .mfsh-sheet{transform:none}\r\n@media (min-width:640px){.mfsh-overlay{align-items:center}.mfsh-sheet{padding-bottom:20px}}\r\n.mfsh-head{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin:0 0 14px}\r\n.mfsh-head strong{font-size:18px;font-weight:800;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;line-height:1}\r\n.mfsh-head strong svg{width:18px;height:18px}\r\n.mfsh-close{background:none;border:0;padding:6px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;color:#0F1720;line-height:0;box-shadow:none}\r\n.mfsh-close svg{width:18px;height:18px}\r\n.mfsh-preview{display:grid;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr;gap:12px;border:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:#F5F7FB;padding:10px;margin:0 0 12px;align-items:center}\r\n.mfsh-preview img{width:96px;height:72px;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0}\r\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-kicker{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5C91FF;margin:0 0 4px;line-height:1.2}\r\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-title{font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;margin:0;display:block}\r\n.mfsh-list{display:grid;margin:0;padding:0}\r\n.mfsh-item{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;height:50px;width:100%;border:0;border-top:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:none;padding:0 4px;margin:0;text-align:left;font-family:inherit;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;color:#0F1720;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;line-height:1}\r\n.mfsh-item:hover,.mfsh-item:focus-visible{background:#F5F7FB;outline:none}\r\n.mfsh-item svg{width:20px;height:20px;color:#5C91FF;flex-shrink:0;display:block}\r\n.mfsh-item small{margin-left:auto;color:#5B6674;font-weight:500;font-size:12px}\r\n.mfsh-item.mfsh-done svg{color:#1E9E5A}\r\n.mfsh-toast{position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:32px;transform:translate(-50%,10px);background:#0F1720;color:#fff;padding:10px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:13px;font-family:inherit;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s,transform .2s;z-index:100000}\r\n.mfsh-toast.mfsh-show{opacity:1;transform:translate(-50%,0)}\r\n@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mfsh-overlay,.mfsh-sheet,.mfsh-toast,.mfsh-trigger{transition:none}}\r\n<\/style>\r\n<svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-share\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M12 3v12M8 7l4-4 4 4M5 12v8h14v-8\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"m5 5 14 14M19 5 5 19\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-wa\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 2a10 10 0 0 0-8.6 15.1L2 22l5.1-1.3A10 10 0 1 0 12 2Zm0 1.8a8.2 8.2 0 1 1-4.2 15.3l-.3-.2-3 .8.8-2.9-.2-.3A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 12 3.8Zm-3 4.4c-.2 0-.5 0-.8.4-.3.3-1 1-1 2.4s1 2.8 1.2 3c.1.2 2 3.2 5 4.4 2.5 1 3 .8 3.5.7.5 0 1.7-.7 2-1.4.2-.7.2-1.3.1-1.4l-.5-.3-2-1c-.3 0-.5-.1-.7.2l-.9 1.1c-.2.2-.3.2-.6.1-.3-.2-1.3-.5-2.4-1.5-.9-.8-1.5-1.8-1.7-2-.2-.4 0-.5.2-.7l.4-.5.3-.5v-.5l-.9-2.2c-.2-.5-.4-.5-.6-.5H9Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-x\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.8 3h3l-6.7 7.7L22 21h-6.2l-4.8-6.3L5.4 21h-3l7.2-8.2L2 3h6.3l4.4 5.8L17.8 3Zm-1.1 16.2h1.7L7.4 4.7H5.6l11.1 14.5Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-fb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M13.5 22v-8h2.7l.4-3.2h-3.1V8.8c0-.9.3-1.6 1.6-1.6h1.7V4.4c-.3 0-1.3-.1-2.5-.1-2.5 0-4.1 1.5-4.1 4.2v2.3H7.4V14h2.8v8h3.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-li\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 8.5H3V21h3.5V8.5ZM4.8 3a2 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0-4ZM21 13.4c0-3.4-1.8-5.2-4.5-5.2-1.6 0-2.7.8-3.2 1.7V8.5H9.9V21h3.4v-6.4c0-1.7.6-2.8 2.1-2.8 1.4 0 2 1 2 2.8V21H21v-7.6Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-rd\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M22 12.1a2.4 2.4 0 0 0-4.1-1.7 11.7 11.7 0 0 0-5.5-1.7l1-4.5 3.1.7a1.7 1.7 0 1 0 .2-1l-3.6-.8a.5.5 0 0 0-.6.4l-1.1 5.2a11.8 11.8 0 0 0-5.8 1.7A2.4 2.4 0 1 0 3 14.3v.5c0 3.4 4 6.2 9 6.2s9-2.8 9-6.2v-.5a2.4 2.4 0 0 0 1-2.2ZM7.5 13.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 3.4 0 1.7 1.7 0 0 1-3.4 0Zm8.9 4.5c-1.2 1.2-3.4 1.3-4.4 1.3s-3.3-.1-4.4-1.3a.5.5 0 0 1 .7-.7c.7.8 2.4 1 3.7 1s2.9-.2 3.7-1a.5.5 0 0 1 .7.7Zm-.6-2.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 0-3.4 1.7 1.7 0 0 1 0 3.4Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-tg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.9 4.6 18.7 19.9c-.2 1-.9 1.3-1.7.8l-4.9-3.6-2.3 2.3c-.3.3-.5.5-1 .5l.4-5 9-8.2c.4-.3-.1-.5-.6-.2L6.4 13.5 1.6 12c-1-.3-1.1-1 .2-1.5l18.8-7.2c.9-.3 1.6.2 1.3 1.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-mail\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"M3 6h18v12H3z\"\/><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"m3 7 9 6 9-6\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-link\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M10 14a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 0l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-5.7-5.7l-1.5 1.5M14 10a4 4 0 0 0-5.7 0l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 5.7l1.5-1.5\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-more\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"19\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n<\/svg>\r\n<span class=\"mfsh-top-slot\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger\" data-mfsh-placement=\"top\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button><\/span>\r\n<script>\r\n(function(){\r\n  if (window.__mfsh) return; window.__mfsh = true;\r\n  var SECTION = 'afterburner';\r\n  function meta(p){ var m=document.querySelector('meta[property=\"'+p+'\"]'); return m ? m.getAttribute('content') : ''; }\r\n  function pageUrl(){ var c=document.querySelector('link[rel=\"canonical\"]'); return (c && c.href) || (location.origin + location.pathname); }\r\n  function pageTitle(){ var h=document.querySelector('h1.entry-title'); return (h && h.textContent.trim()) || meta('og:title') || document.title; }\r\n  function slug(){ return location.pathname.replace(\/\\\/+$\/,'').split('\/').pop() || 'home'; }\r\n  function kicker(){ var c=document.querySelector('.et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category tag\"], .et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category\"], a[rel=\"category tag\"]'); return 'Afterburner' + (c && c.textContent.trim() ? ' \u00b7 ' + c.textContent.trim() : ''); }\r\n  function shareUrl(ch, placement){ return pageUrl() + '?utm_source=share&utm_medium=' + ch + '&utm_campaign=' + SECTION + '&utm_content=sheet_' + placement; }\r\n  function track(ch, placement, extra){\r\n    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\r\n    var ev = { event:'share', share_channel:ch, share_variant:'sheet', share_placement:placement, page_section:SECTION, content_id:slug() };\r\n    if (extra) for (var k in extra) ev[k]=extra[k];\r\n    window.dataLayer.push(ev);\r\n  }\r\n  var CH = [\r\n    ['whatsapp','WhatsApp','mfsh-i-wa',''],\r\n    ['x','X','mfsh-i-x',''],\r\n    ['facebook','Facebook','mfsh-i-fb',''],\r\n    ['linkedin','LinkedIn','mfsh-i-li',''],\r\n    ['reddit','Reddit','mfsh-i-rd','r\/aviation, r\/WarplanePorn'],\r\n    ['telegram','Telegram','mfsh-i-tg',''],\r\n    ['email','Email','mfsh-i-mail',''],\r\n    ['copy','Copy link','mfsh-i-link',''],\r\n    ['native','More','mfsh-i-more','Instagram, Signal, AirDrop']\r\n  ];\r\n  var overlay, toastEl, toastT, placement = 'top';\r\n  function build(){\r\n    overlay = document.createElement('div'); overlay.className = 'mfsh-overlay'; overlay.setAttribute('role','dialog'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-modal','true'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-label','Share');\r\n    var img = meta('og:image');\r\n    var items = CH.filter(function(c){ return c[0] !== 'native' || !!navigator.share; }).map(function(c){\r\n      return '<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-item\" data-mfsh-ch=\"'+c[0]+'\"><svg><use href=\"#'+c[2]+'\"\/><\/svg>'+c[1]+(c[3]?'<small>'+c[3]+'<\/small>':'')+'<\/button>';\r\n    }).join('');\r\n    overlay.innerHTML = '<div class=\"mfsh-sheet\"><div class=\"mfsh-head\"><strong><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share<\/strong><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-close\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>'\r\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-preview\">' + (img ? '<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"'+img+'\" alt=\"\">' : '<span><\/span>') + '<div><div class=\"mfsh-kicker\">'+kicker()+'<\/div><span class=\"mfsh-title\">'+pageTitle()+'<\/span><\/div><\/div>'\r\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-list\">'+items+'<\/div><\/div>';\r\n    document.body.appendChild(overlay);\r\n    toastEl = document.createElement('div'); toastEl.className = 'mfsh-toast'; document.body.appendChild(toastEl);\r\n    overlay.addEventListener('click', function(e){\r\n      if (e.target === overlay || e.target.closest('.mfsh-close')) { close(); return; }\r\n      var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-item'); if (b) act(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-ch'), b);\r\n    });\r\n    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ if (e.key === 'Escape') close(); });\r\n  }\r\n  function open(p){ placement = p || 'top'; if (!overlay) build(); overlay.classList.add('mfsh-open'); track('open', placement); }\r\n  function close(){ if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('mfsh-open'); }\r\n  function toast(m){ toastEl.textContent = m; toastEl.classList.add('mfsh-show'); clearTimeout(toastT); toastT = setTimeout(function(){ toastEl.classList.remove('mfsh-show'); }, 1600); }\r\n  function act(ch, btn){\r\n    var url = shareUrl(ch, placement), t = pageTitle(), enc = encodeURIComponent;\r\n    if (ch === 'copy') {\r\n      var done = function(){ toast('Link copied'); btn.classList.add('mfsh-done'); setTimeout(function(){ btn.classList.remove('mfsh-done'); close(); }, 900); };\r\n      track(ch, placement);\r\n      if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) navigator.clipboard.writeText(url).then(done, done); else done();\r\n      return;\r\n    }\r\n    if (ch === 'native') {\r\n      track(ch, placement, { share_result:'opened' });\r\n      navigator.share({ title:t, text:t, url:url }).then(function(){ track('native', placement, { share_result:'completed' }); close(); }).catch(function(){});\r\n      return;\r\n    }\r\n    var target = {\r\n      whatsapp: 'https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=' + enc(t + ' ' + url),\r\n      x:        'https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=' + enc(t) + '&url=' + enc(url) + '&via=MiGFlug',\r\n      facebook: 'https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=' + enc(url),\r\n      linkedin: 'https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=' + enc(url),\r\n      reddit:   'https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=' + enc(url) + '&title=' + enc(t),\r\n      telegram: 'https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=' + enc(url) + '&text=' + enc(t),\r\n      email:    'mailto:?subject=' + enc(t) + '&body=' + enc('Thought you would like this, from Afterburner, MiGFlug\\'s magazine:\\n' + t + '\\n' + url)\r\n    }[ch];\r\n    track(ch, placement);\r\n    if (target) { if (ch === 'email') location.href = target; else window.open(target, '_blank', 'noopener,width=680,height=560'); }\r\n    close();\r\n  }\r\n  var mq = window.matchMedia('(min-width:981px)');\r\n  function place(){\r\n    var t = document.querySelector('.mfsh-trigger[data-mfsh-placement=\"top\"]'), slot = document.querySelector('.mfsh-top-slot');\r\n    var meta = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.et_pb_title_meta_container, .et_post_meta_wrapper .post-meta, .single .post-meta')).filter(function(m){ return m.offsetParent !== null; })[0];\r\n    if (!t || !slot) return;\r\n    if (meta && mq.matches) { meta.classList.add('mfsh-meta'); t.classList.add('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== meta) meta.appendChild(t); var a = meta.querySelector('a'); if (a) { var pr = document.createElement('span'); pr.style.cssText = 'display:inline-block;width:0;height:0;vertical-align:baseline'; a.appendChild(pr); var base = pr.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; pr.remove(); var fs = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(a).fontSize) || 14, mb = meta.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; t.style.bottom = Math.max(0, mb - (base + fs * 0.12)) + 'px'; } }\r\n    else { t.classList.remove('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== slot) slot.appendChild(t); }\r\n  }\r\n  if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', place); else place(); window.addEventListener('load', place); if (document.fonts && document.fonts.ready) document.fonts.ready.then(place); window.addEventListener('resize', place);\r\n  if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', place); else mq.addListener(place);\r\n  document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-trigger'); if (b) { e.preventDefault(); open(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-placement') || 'top'); } });\r\n})();\r\n<\/script><!-- \/mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<p>Around noon on 11 November 1940, Sergente Pilota Pietro Salvadori climbed out over the Belgian coast in an open-cockpit biplane. He was 23, flying with the Italian air corps sent to help the Luftwaffe against Britain, and his formation was heading for Harwich. Before the fighting began, an oil pipe in his engine broke. Salvadori fell behind, his engine overheating, and pressed on anyway.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>He ended up putting his fighter down on the shingle beach at Orford Ness in Suffolk, where it gently nosed over. According to the RAF Museum, Salvadori was rather proud of the landing. His aircraft, a Fiat CR.42 Falco, survives to this day in the RAF Museum in London, the souvenir of one of the strangest chapters of the Battle of Britain.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Type:<\/strong> Single-seat biplane fighter, Fiat<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Developed from:<\/strong> Fiat CR.32<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Engine:<\/strong> Fiat A.74 supercharged radial<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Armament:<\/strong> Typically two 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Top speed:<\/strong> Around 430 km\/h<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Production:<\/strong> Around 1,800 (most likely estimate)<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Operators:<\/strong> Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Sweden (as J 11), Germany<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Survivor in UK:<\/strong> MM5701, landed at Orford Ness on 11 November 1940, now at the RAF Museum London<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The last of the biplane fighters<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/fiat-cr-42-falco\/\">Fiat CR.42 Falco<\/a> (Falcon) was a single-seat fighter developed from Fiat&rsquo;s successful <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/fiat-cr-32\/\">CR.32<\/a>, the biplane that had done well for Italy in the Spanish Civil War. Fiat gave the new design a more powerful supercharged Fiat A.74 radial engine, a cleaner shape and a very strong structure built around a welded steel-tube fuselage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The rest of the design was a careful blend of old and new. The engine sat under a NACA cowling with adjustable cooling flaps, and the forward fuselage was metal-skinned while the rear was covered in fabric. Only the upper wing carried ailerons. In its official evaluation the CR.42 beat a rival biplane, the Caproni Ca.165, which was faster but less manoeuvrable, a choice that said a lot about Italian priorities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Its great quality was agility. With a very low wing loading, the CR.42 could out-turn almost anything in the sky, and the Regia Aeronautica, which prized manoeuvrability, liked it a great deal. The Falco entered service in 1939, just as monoplanes such as the Spitfire and the Bf 109 were making the biplane obsolete.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/fiat-cr42-falco-hendon-close-up-spatted-gear.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of the Fiat CR.42 Falco at the RAF Museum showing its yellow engine cowling, struts and spatted landing gear\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The RAF Museum&rsquo;s CR.42 seen close up: yellow cowling, strut-braced wings and spatted main wheels. Photo: Roland Turner \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Italy built it anyway, and in large numbers. The RAF Museum describes the CR.42 as the last biplane fighter in production. Historians are not certain of the exact total, but the most likely estimate is around 1,800, which made it one of the most numerous Italian aircraft of the war. Typical armament was a pair of 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns firing through the propeller, and top speed was around 430 km\/h.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tiym9xk-8p8\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">Aircraft Files tells the story of the Fiat CR.42 Falco, the last of the frontline biplane fighters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A biplane in the Battle of Britain<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>In the autumn of 1940, Mussolini sent the Corpo Aereo Italiano, an air corps of some 200 aircraft, to bases in Belgium at <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-bases\/melsbroek\/\">Melsbroek<\/a>, Chi&egrave;vres, Maldegem and Ursel. According to the RAF Museum, the Luftwaffe was less than enthusiastic about its new partners. The CR.42s of 18&deg; Gruppo flew up from northern Italy and, held up by bad weather, reached Ursel on 19 October.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/fiat-cr42-corpo-aereo-italiano-belgium-1940.jpg\" alt=\"A German officer sits in the cockpit of an Italian Fiat CR.42 Falco biplane in Belgium in 1940 while another officer looks on\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A German officer examines the cockpit of a CR.42 of the 85th Squadriglia, 18&deg; Gruppo, Corpo Aereo Italiano, in Belgium in 1940. Photo: public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The problems were obvious from the start. The Falchi had open cockpits, many lacked radios, and with their limited fuel they could stay over England for only about ten minutes. The air corps began operations with a night raid on Harwich on 24 October. The Italian press reported it in glowing terms.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;A large force of Italian bombers raided London (sic) during the night. They have returned bearing the marks of combat, but with the glorious certainty of great victory&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Italian press report<\/strong> &mdash; On the Harwich raid, 25 October 1940 (quoted by the RAF Museum)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The biggest Italian operation came on 11 November 1940, when ten Fiat BR.20 bombers and some 40 CR.42s set out for Harwich. RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires intercepted. According to the RAF Museum, the Italians lost three bombers and three fighters, with three more bombers crashing on the way home, while the RAF lost no aircraft. Salvadori&rsquo;s fighter was one of the CR.42s that never went home.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Salvadori himself was taken prisoner. When the British interrogated him, the RAF Museum records, he said he was happy to be out of the war and was unimpressed by his officers, by the Belgian weather, and by the Germans and their food.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The RAF made good use of its prize. The Falco was repaired, given the RAF serial BT474 and flown to Farnborough with a Hurricane escort, since it still wore Italian markings. In 1941 the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford flew it in mock dogfights against Hurricanes and in comparative trials against the Spitfire and naval fighters, to work out how best to fight it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mKykQvrLDSM\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">Mark Felton on the Italian air raids on England in 1940 and 1941.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Italian air corps went home early in 1941. The RAF Museum&rsquo;s verdict on the whole campaign is blunt: despite numerous claims, it shot down no British aircraft and lost around two dozen of its own.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;The Fiat C.R.42 was one of the last biplanes to see extensive combat.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>RAF Museum<\/strong> &mdash; Battle of Britain Beacon history pages<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Malta, the desert and the snow<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The Battle of Britain was the CR.42&rsquo;s least successful theatre. Elsewhere it did far better. Over Malta and North Africa in 1940 it fought <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/gloster-gladiator\/\">Gloster Gladiators<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/hawker-hurricane\/\">Hawker Hurricanes<\/a>, and Hurricane pilots quickly found that the nimble Italian biplane could out-turn them in a dogfight. Several RAF pilots learned the hard way not to follow a Falco into a turning fight.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Falco also flew in the Battle of France, over Greece and Iraq, and later as a night fighter and ground-attack aircraft. Abroad, it served with Belgium, Hungary and Sweden. Sweden took 72 of them between 1940 and 1941 as the J 11, fitted with radios, armour plate behind the pilot and skis for operations from snow-covered fields in the far north.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/fiat-cr42-formation-benina-libya-1940.jpg\" alt=\"A formation of Italian Fiat CR.42 Falco biplane fighters flying over Benina in Libya in 1940\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">CR.42s of 9&deg; Gruppo, 4&deg; Stormo, in formation near Benina, Libya, in 1940. In North Africa and over Malta the Falco fought Gladiators and Hurricanes. Photo: public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Fiat even tried to squeeze more speed from the airframe by fitting a Daimler-Benz DB 601 inline engine. The resulting CR.42DB reached 518 km\/h in 1941 and is often described as the fastest biplane ever flown, but the project was dropped because a biplane offered no advantage over a monoplane.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Yc0tY5l9sdo\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">Wartime footage of the CR.42 Falco in Regia Aeronautica service, colourised by Archives Reloaded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>After the Italian armistice in September 1943, surviving CR.42s were used as trainers, while the Germans seized others for ground-attack work. It was an extraordinary career for an aircraft that was obsolete before it entered service. Salvadori&rsquo;s Falco at the RAF Museum is a reminder that the Battle of Britain was fought not only by Spitfires and Messerschmitts, but, briefly, by Italian biplanes as well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: RAF Museum (individual history of CR.42 MM5701; Battle of Britain Beacon), Wikipedia (Fiat CR.42 Falco), Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What was the Fiat CR.42 Falco?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Fiat CR.42 Falco was an Italian single-seat biplane fighter developed from the Fiat CR.32 and powered by a supercharged Fiat A.74 radial engine. It entered service in 1939 and was very manoeuvrable but outclassed by monoplanes. Around 1,800 were built, and the RAF Museum calls it the last biplane fighter in production.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Did the Fiat CR.42 fight in the Battle of Britain?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. In autumn 1940 the Corpo Aereo Italiano sent CR.42s to bases in Belgium to fly against Britain. On 11 November 1940 about 40 CR.42s escorted ten BR.20 bombers towards Harwich. According to the RAF Museum, the Italians lost three bombers and three fighters, while the RAF lost no aircraft.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Where can I see a Fiat CR.42 Falco today?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A Fiat CR.42 Falco, serial MM5701, is on display at the RAF Museum London. Its pilot, Sergente Pietro Salvadori, force-landed it on the beach at Orford Ness in Suffolk on 11 November 1940 after an oil pipe broke. The RAF repaired and test-flew it as BT474.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How fast was the Fiat CR.42 Falco?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Fiat CR.42 Falco had a top speed of around 430 km\/h. That was fast for a biplane but well below monoplane fighters such as the Hurricane and Spitfire. An experimental version with a Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, the CR.42DB, reached 518 km\/h in 1941.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which countries flew the Fiat CR.42?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Besides Italy, the Fiat CR.42 Falco served with the air forces of Belgium, Hungary and Sweden, and with the Luftwaffe after Italy&rsquo;s armistice in 1943. Sweden received 72 between 1940 and 1941 and designated them J 11, fitting radios, armour plate and skis for winter operations.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Was the Fiat CR.42 a good fighter?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Fiat CR.42 was very agile and strongly built, and in Malta and North Africa Hurricane pilots found it could out-turn them. But it was slower and more lightly armed than monoplane fighters. Over England in 1940 the Italian air corps shot down no British aircraft, according to the RAF Museum.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the Fiat CR.42 Falco?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Fiat CR.42 Falco was an Italian single-seat biplane fighter developed from the Fiat CR.32 and powered by a supercharged Fiat A.74 radial engine. It entered service in 1939 and was very manoeuvrable but outclassed by monoplanes. Around 1,800 were built, and the RAF Museum calls it the last biplane fighter in production.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Did the Fiat CR.42 fight in the Battle of Britain?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. In autumn 1940 the Corpo Aereo Italiano sent CR.42s to bases in Belgium to fly against Britain. On 11 November 1940 about 40 CR.42s escorted ten BR.20 bombers towards Harwich. According to the RAF Museum, the Italians lost three bombers and three fighters, while the RAF lost no aircraft.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Where can I see a Fiat CR.42 Falco today?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A Fiat CR.42 Falco, serial MM5701, is on display at the RAF Museum London. Its pilot, Sergente Pietro Salvadori, force-landed it on the beach at Orford Ness in Suffolk on 11 November 1940 after an oil pipe broke. The RAF repaired and test-flew it as BT474.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How fast was the Fiat CR.42 Falco?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Fiat CR.42 Falco had a top speed of around 430 km\/h. That was fast for a biplane but well below monoplane fighters such as the Hurricane and Spitfire. An experimental version with a Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, the CR.42DB, reached 518 km\/h in 1941.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which countries flew the Fiat CR.42?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Besides Italy, the Fiat CR.42 Falco served with the air forces of Belgium, Hungary and Sweden, and with the Luftwaffe after Italy\u2019s armistice in 1943. Sweden received 72 between 1940 and 1941 and designated them J 11, fitting radios, armour plate and skis for winter operations.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Was the Fiat CR.42 a good fighter?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Fiat CR.42 was very agile and strongly built, and in Malta and North Africa Hurricane pilots found it could out-turn them. But it was slower and more lightly armed than monoplane fighters. Over England in 1940 the Italian air corps shot down no British aircraft, according to the RAF Museum.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-g55-centauro-italian-fighter-1943\/\">Fiat G.55 Centauro: Italy&rsquo;s Best Fighter, Built Too Late<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/faith-hope-charity-malta-gladiators-1940\/\">Three Biplanes Against an Air Force<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/hardest-day-18-august-1940-battle-of-britain\/\">The Hardest Day: 18 August 1940 Cost More Than Battle of Britain Day<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-few-how-3000-fighter-pilots-saved-western-civilisation-in-1940\/\">The Few: How 3,000 Fighter Pilots Saved Western Civilisation in 1940<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Fiat CR.42 Falco was the last biplane fighter in production. In November 1940 Italian CR.42s raided England, and one landed on a Suffolk beach.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":31937046,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31937180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fiat CR.42 Falco: Italian Biplane Fighter of 1940 | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fiat CR.42 Falco: the Italian biplane fighter that raided England in November 1940 and left one example on a Suffolk beach, now at the RAF Museum.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fiat CR.42 Falco: Italian Biplane Fighter of 1940 | MiGFlug\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Fiat CR.42 Falco: the Italian biplane fighter that raided England in November 1940 and left one example on a Suffolk beach, now at the RAF Museum.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-11-09T10:33:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-11-09T10:33:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8de428a67c070c9b49afaa026328a4e3\"},\"headline\":\"Fiat CR.42 Falco: The Italian Biplane That Raided Britain in 1940\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-11-09T10:33:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-11-09T10:33:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1597,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"History &amp; Legends\",\"Military Aviation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/\",\"name\":\"Fiat CR.42 Falco: Italian Biplane Fighter of 1940 | MiGFlug\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-11-09T10:33:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-11-09T10:33:37+00:00\",\"description\":\"Fiat CR.42 Falco: the Italian biplane fighter that raided England in November 1940 and left one example on a Suffolk beach, now at the RAF Museum.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"Fiat CR.42 Falco biplane MM5701 in Italian camouflage with the code 13 95 on display at the RAF Museum London\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Fiat CR.42 Falco: The Italian Biplane That Raided Britain in 1940\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8de428a67c070c9b49afaa026328a4e3\",\"name\":\"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/24d828074a1cc6684638b2dcfc98a9dd85a2e06b37adfd74d20fae209f234190?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/24d828074a1cc6684638b2dcfc98a9dd85a2e06b37adfd74d20fae209f234190?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/24d828074a1cc6684638b2dcfc98a9dd85a2e06b37adfd74d20fae209f234190?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy\"},\"description\":\"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy covers French and European aerospace, from Rafale and Airbus to NATO strategy and the continent\u2019s defence industry.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/es\\\/author\\\/fortuneleroy\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Fiat CR.42 Falco: Italian Biplane Fighter of 1940 | MiGFlug","description":"Fiat CR.42 Falco: the Italian biplane fighter that raided England in November 1940 and left one example on a Suffolk beach, now at the RAF Museum.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/","og_locale":"es_ES","og_type":"article","og_title":"Fiat CR.42 Falco: Italian Biplane Fighter of 1940 | MiGFlug","og_description":"Fiat CR.42 Falco: the Italian biplane fighter that raided England in November 1940 and left one example on a Suffolk beach, now at the RAF Museum.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-11-09T10:33:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-11-09T10:33:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/"},"author":{"name":"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/8de428a67c070c9b49afaa026328a4e3"},"headline":"Fiat CR.42 Falco: The Italian Biplane That Raided Britain in 1940","datePublished":"2026-11-09T10:33:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-11-09T10:33:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/"},"wordCount":1597,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg","articleSection":["History &amp; Legends","Military Aviation"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/","name":"Fiat CR.42 Falco: Italian Biplane Fighter of 1940 | MiGFlug","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg","datePublished":"2026-11-09T10:33:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-11-09T10:33:37+00:00","description":"Fiat CR.42 Falco: the Italian biplane fighter that raided England in November 1940 and left one example on a Suffolk beach, now at the RAF Museum.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/fiat-cr42-falco-mm5701-raf-museum-london.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"Fiat CR.42 Falco biplane MM5701 in Italian camouflage with the code 13 95 on display at the RAF Museum London"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fiat-cr42-falco-italian-biplane-fighter-battle-of-britain-1940\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Fiat CR.42 Falco: The Italian Biplane That Raided Britain in 1940"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Postcombusti\u00f3n - Revista de MiGFlug","description":"Para aquellos interesados en pilotar aviones militares y temas relacionados con la aviaci\u00f3n.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/8de428a67c070c9b49afaa026328a4e3","name":"Fortune Leroy","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/24d828074a1cc6684638b2dcfc98a9dd85a2e06b37adfd74d20fae209f234190?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/24d828074a1cc6684638b2dcfc98a9dd85a2e06b37adfd74d20fae209f234190?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/24d828074a1cc6684638b2dcfc98a9dd85a2e06b37adfd74d20fae209f234190?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy"},"description":"Fortun\u00e9 Leroy cubre el sector aeroespacial franc\u00e9s y europeo, desde Rafale y Airbus hasta la estrategia de la OTAN y la industria de defensa del continente.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/author\/fortuneleroy\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31937180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31937180"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31937180\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31937346,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31937180\/revisions\/31937346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31937046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31937180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31937180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31937180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}