Italian Forces

An aerobatic gem

“An aerobatic gem”, “a superb biplane” remarkably fast for a plane of this formula, but as a fighter under-gunned. This, very briefly, was the judgment of the Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown, RN, the test pilot who has flown more types of aircraft than anyone else in history included many Italians planes WW2 and not WW2, about the Italian biplane fighter Fiat CR.42. Brown tested the CR.42 RAF code BT474 allocated to Air Fighting Development Unit (AFDU) of the Royal Air Force Station Duxford, Cambridgeshire - a Squadron, with other bases at Northolt and Wittering, under the control of RAF Fighter Command and the Air Ministry for comparative trials and development tactics effective against the enemy – and used also by the No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight RAF, "the Rafwaffe”. The RAF code BT 474 was one of the three Fiat CR.42 of the 18th Gruppo Caccia Terrestre (Land Fighter) lost over Britain on 11 November 1940 during the brief operational cycle of the Italian Regia Aeronautica on the Channel Front. On the contrary of the other fighters down by RAF Fighter Command, (46 and 257 Squadrons) – CR.42 MM6978, 83rd Squadriglia, shot down into sea, pilot Sergente (Sergeant) KIA, CR.42 MM6976 85th Squadriglia, aircraft 85-16, crashed near Corton Railway Station, pilot Sergente Antonio Lazzari POW - the future BT474, CR.42 military code MM5701, fuselage code 95-13 (95th Squadriglia, 18th Gruppo, 56th Stormo), based at Maldegen, Belgium, was lost for technical reasons, a broken oil duct with engine’s overheat. The Italian pilot, Sergente Pietro Salvadori, was forced to make an emergency landing on a beach near the Orford Ness lighthouse, Suffolk. Shortly after the landing a Hurricane flew over him and he waved at it, at which the Hurricane responded by waggling his wings. The plane had only light damages and promptly repaired and restored to flight conditions with the RAF insignias and markings was assigned to AFDU. Note in this picture, taken during an evaluation’s flight by the AFDU, the CR.42 which still, under the tail, the original Italian military code (MM5701). Restored with the WW2 Italian colors and markings, the BT474 is now on exhibition in the Battle of Britain Museum, Hendon. Some news about of the pilot of this plane POW after the land in Britain. Pietro Salvadori, born in 1917, reservist with several sailplanes hours, was called into military service in 1938 and licensed military pilot with 100 hours of flight plus other 100 in Squadron of assignment. After the war and its return Italy, Pietro Salvadori remained in the Italian Air Force and was assigned to 51st Aerobrigata (Air Brigade), but his fate was tragic. Pietro Salvadori was in effect killed on April 1953 in a fatal accident flying an F-84G Thunderjet. Victor Sierra