Italian Forces

An aircraft without future

Close up of the first and only series exemplar (MM12415) of another Italian aircraft remained without future because the adverse for Italy) war developments: the two seat observation aircraft Reggiane Re.2003 designed for the replacement of the obsolescent biplane IMAM Ro.37. The prototype, MM478, realized from a normal series Re.2000 modified, flew at Reggio Emilia on 29 July 1941. The Regia Aeronautica’s program was of a series of 200 Re.2003s and the first of them, head of series, MM12415, flew for first time on 13 October 1942, powered by a 870 HP (1000 HP on take-off) Piaggio P. XIbis RC 40 radial engine But the program was abandoned because the top priority assigned to fighter aircrafts for cross the growing Allied air offensive against the Italian mainland. At the date of Italian armistice’s announcement (8 September 1943), the prototype MM478 were with 1st Squadriglia Forze Navali (Naval Forces) at Sarzana, Liguria, while the MM12415 during the Repubblica Sociale Italian, the Fascist State established by Mussolini, was employed on the Caproni’s airfield at Taliedo, near Milan, for training of German pilots posted to Luftwaffe’s Re.2002. Victor Sierra