Version II of the P 50, without the 2 pushing engines of the Version I. DVX

Piaggio P 50 II

Line up of Italian Air Force’s reconnaissance planes Caproni Ca.311M of 61st Gruppo Autonomo Osservazione Aerea (Autonomous Aerial Observation Group) on an completely snow covered Russian airfield, perhaps Stalino. Winter 1941-1942. Victor Sierra

The hard Russian winter

The sole exemplar of Fiat CR42DB (DB for Daimler-Benz), a Fiat’s proposal a version of its fighter biplane CR.42 “Falco” (Hawk) with the German Daimler-Benz DB601 engine. This odd proposal was suggested by the Fiat when the Italian Air Ministry purchased the production’s license of the German engine, license switched to same Fiat on 19 December 1940. In the meantime some DB601s was delivered directly by the Germany and Fiat took advantage for mount an exemplar of the German engine over a CR.42’s airframe in place of the standard Fiat A74RC.38 radial engine. The CR.42DB, military registration MM 469, flew on March 1941 piloted by the test pilot Valentino Cus and during the tests the aircraft recorded a maximum speed of 520 Km/h compared with the 430 km/h of the CR.42 standard with radial engine. On the Summer 1941 the CR.42DB was transferred to the Guidonia’s Flight Test Center for military test. But the good sense prevail and the DB601 was set to modern and up to dated projects as the Macchi MC.202 and afterwards the Reggiane Re.2001. Also the Air Ministry’s idea of a fast two seat recce plane with airframe developed from the CR.42 and DB601 engine was abandoned. Victor Sierra