Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II (Falcon II)

Regian re. History of the 2001 Falcon II

While the other major global players of World War II had great success with their various wartime fighters, the Italian Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) operated a rather limited type of fighter - many of which were very well designed, And only limited by the service's long development time, Italian industry and limited production numbers. The same goes for the competent Reggiane Re.

The 2001 "Falco" series, launched in 1941, saw only 237 aircraft delivered by the end of the war. As such, they left a very limited footprint in the Italian war effort - although they fought against the Axis and Allies

The Reggiane Group (Officine Meccaniche Reggiane SpA) operates under the parent company Caproni and is headquartered in Reggio Emilia, north-central Italy. Founded in 1901, the company is still active in the field of machinery (despite the name "Reggiane Cranes and Plants SpA").

Reggiane engineers Roberto Longhi and Antonio Alessio are credited with making early forms of Reggiane Re. 2001 was called Reggiane "Re. 2000". The low-wing, closed-cockpit aircraft first flew in May 1939 and was introduced in 1940, when more than 180 prototypes were produced.

However, the plane was deemed insufficient for the Royal Airline, so it was initially sold to Hungary and Sweden as an export.

Unable to secure a potentially lucrative government contract with the Italian Air Force, Reggiane engineers set out to improve the fighter form. The cause was also encouraged by the arrival of the German Daimler-Benz DB 601 production engine, which is now available for Italians.

The engine is locally licensed as the Alfa Romeo RA1000 RC 41-I "Monsone" ("Monsoon") and is rated at 1,175 hp. Inside the revised fuselage, the aircraft - now known as "Re. 2001" was named July 1940 as a prototype. Subsequent flight tests proved it to be an aircraft that outperformed the original and possessed the maneuverability required for an air combat role - it was thought to be on par with the British Spitfire.

Two prototypes were eventually completed.

The evolutionary cycle of Re. 2001 was fraught with delays due to a change request from Royal Air Lines - which also led to a major redesign of the wing structure to address internal fuel storage. Modification work fueled development in 1941, and the first production-quality models were not introduced until June of that year. The limited inventory of RA1000 engines further hampered combat readiness and proved that the aircraft makes a complex machine.

This also results in high procurement costs for the materials and labor time required in the assembly process. Total inventory of available Re by the end of the year. The 2001 fighter had only 40 aircraft.

Official service began in December 1941, when the aircraft entered service with three Italian fighter squadrons.

Production continued slowly, another 100 were added to Italian stock in 1942, the last arriving in 1943. Ultimately, three main variants emerged, the first of which was Re. 2001 "Series I" standard fighter developed with 4 x machine gun armament; 100 built. The second character is Re. 2001CB fighter-bomber variant that included provisions for a single 220-pound or 500-pound bomb along the centerline of the fuselagethese aircraft have been around since 1942.

The third badge became the Re. 2001CN night fighter with two 20mm cannons under the wings. These were produced in 74 samples of series III and IV batches. An improved fighter-bomber form is the Re. 2001G/V, but these services are few and limited in production.

Reggiane continued to develop the line, but only produced prototypes that were never adopted.

Re's primary combat airspace. 2001 at the Mediterranean Theatre. Night fighters were often used as a defense against Allied bombing of Italy. After the surrender of Italy in September 1943, the Italian Air Force was divided into pro-Allied and pro-Axis Republica Sociale Italiana. In both cases, the number of aircraft remains limited - mainly due to production numbers, ease of maintenance and combat losses that have occurred.

Eight pairs of 2001 airframes were in service with warring forces, and only one was in service with the Italian Social Republic. There. In 2001 it was neither exported nor in service with the Luftwaffe like other Italian fighters after the surrender in September 1943.

Published report from Reggiane Re. The 2001 was a solid fighter with strong flight characteristics and maneuverability comparable to its contemporaries. Its machine gun armament may have limited the genre to some extent, but its performance was certainly useful early in the war: Powered by an Alfa Romeo engine and a streamlined airframe, the aircraft could reach speeds of nearly 340 mph, with a range of up to 685 miles.

Service is capped at 36,100 feet with a climb rate approaching 2,600 feet per minute.

There are only five layers after the war. Still in service in the 2001s. These were dropped over the next few years.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes