World War II AircraftThe last biplane fighter to enter production for any major air force; the CR.42 was a more powerful development of the CR.32 that had served with the Italian forces supporting Franco's rebellion in Spain. Entering service with the Regia Aeronautica in May 1939; its 840 hp Alfa-Romeo radial engine may have made it the fastest biplane in service; but that and its outstanding manoeuvrability didn't prevent it suffering heavy losses when Mussolini decided to join in the assault on Britain from bases in Belgium during September; October and November 1940. Its armament of two 12.7 mm synchronised Breda-SAFAT machine guns (7.7 mm or one of each calibre in early examples) was inadequate and although some 1817 were built and it was the most-encountered Italian fighter of the war; fought in all theatres where the Regia Aeronautica was involved and served with the air forces of Sweden; Belgium; Spain and Hungary; the biplane as a day fighter was obsolete and it was eventually employed in other roles such as night-fighting and ground attack. The aircraft illustrated is MM5701; captured on 11 November 1940 when its engine overheated and it force-landed on the shingle beach at Orfordness; Suffolk. It was repaired and later flown by test pilot Eric Brown; who reported it as "remarkably fast" for a biplane; with a top speed of 270 mph (434 km/h) at 12;500 ft. (3;810 m) and "marginal stability which is the mark of a good fighter". Moreover; it was "brilliantly manoeuvrable; an aerobatic gem; but under-gunned and very vulnerable to enemy fire". It is still extant and exhibited in the RAF Museum.Illustration (Tim Brown); 2019.