FIAT Fighters: CR.32, CR.42 Falco, G.50 Freccia, G.55 Centauro

Fiat Fighters, the second volume in Luigino Caliaro's trilogy, highlights the fighter aircraft designs originating from the Turin-based Fiat company

Moreno Aguiari
Moreno Aguiari
Fiat Fighters details the history, design, and operational career of Fiat's iconic WWII fighter aircraft, including the CR.32, CR.42, G.50, and G.55.
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Fiat Fighters, the second volume in Luigino Caliaro’s trilogy on Italian fighter aircraft of the Second World War, delves into the iconic designs produced by the Turin-based Fiat company. The first volume, “Macchi Fighters: C.200 Saetta, C.202 Folgore, C.205 Veltro,” detailed the design, development, and operational deployment of the three main fighters produced by the Varese-based Aeronautica Macchi during World War II.  This book provides an in-depth exploration of Fiat’s long and illustrious history, beginning with the early biplane creations of the renowned engineer Celestino Rosatelli before focusing on four of the company’s most notable and successful aircraft.

Fiat Fighters is the second volume in Luigino Caliaro  

The CR.32 biplane, constructed of fabric-covered light alloy, emerged as one of the most outstanding fighters of the late 1930s. In addition to its service with the Regia Aeronautica during the Spanish Civil War, the CR.32 was also adopted by the air forces of China, Austria, Hungary, Paraguay, and Venezuela. Its successor, the CR.42 Falco, represented an evolution of Rosatelli’s earlier design and became the last single-seat biplane fighter produced by any of the belligerent nations of the Second World War. The CR.42 was exported to countries such as Belgium and Sweden and even served with the Luftwaffe. Its operational use spanned the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Balkans, and Iraq, and a night fighter variant was also developed.

1071px Az Olasz Légierő FIAT CR 32 típusú vadászrepülőgépe. Fortepan 26473
CR.32 of Regia Aeronautica in 1939
Fiat CR.42 Aegean Islands

Two CR.42’s of 162a Squadriglia, 161° “Autonomous Terrestrial Fighter Group”, Aegean Islands 1940

Fiat’s contributions to monoplane fighters are equally significant. The G.50 Freccia, designed by Giuseppe Gabrielli, became Italy’s first all-metal, single-seat fighter equipped with a retractable undercarriage. Widely deployed in Spain, the Balkans, the Aegean, and North Africa, the G.50 was also supplied to Finland and Croatia. The G.55 Centauro, powered in its final form by the RA.1050 R.C.58 Tifone liquid-cooled engine—a license-built version of the German DB 605A-1—served both the Regia Aeronautica and the Aviazione Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR).

Bundesarchiv Bild 101I 425 0338 16A Flugzeuge Fiat G.50 und Messerschmitt Me 110
A Regia Aeronautica G.50 flying with a Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 110 over North Africa in 1941
Fiat G.55 Torpedo
G.55 S prototype c. 1945

Drawing from company records and military archives, the book provides a comprehensive account of each aircraft’s design, development, and operational history. It examines their production, prototypes, technical specifications, and much more. Richly illustrated with hundreds of rare and intriguing photographs, this volume offers an invaluable resource for aviation history enthusiasts. The book is available on Amazon or on the publisher’s website.

Fiat Fighters book by Luigino Caliaro
Aircorps Art Dec 2019
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Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
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