- Yes
- Maybe
- No
History.
The Reggiane Re.2001 is an Italian fighter-bomber from the early 1940s. It was produced in various versions including anti-tank, torpedo and so on, but one of these versions is particularly interesting.
At the end of 1940 one of these vehicles in the basic version, registered MM 409, was modified to make it faster. The radiators were moved to the wings, to the detriment of the 7.7 mm wing machine guns, and the plane was flown in April 1941 by Francesco Agello with excellent results: the plane was faster than all the other Reggiane 2001s ever tested until then, and this was confirmed in subsequent flights also carried out by Captain Agello, who recorded a record of 600 km/h at 6,000 meters above sea level. Despite the particularities and good performances of the aircraft, it did not go beyond the production of the third example, but was used as a test bed for the future Reggiane 2006 before being converted to a standard Reggiane 2001 and sent back to the ranks of the Regia Aeronautica due to the release of the new Reggiane 2005 fighter.
Armaments and propulsion.
As mentioned, the plane had to give up the two 7.7 mm guns in the wings, so the armament was reduced to just the two 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns placed in the nose and synchronized with the propeller.
The engine was the same as a classic Reggiane 2001, i.e. an Alfa Romeo RA 1000 RC.41 (Alfa Romeo license for a German engine) with 1,175 HP of power, which added to the good aerodynamics of the plane allowed it to reach 600 km /h of maximum speed.
Specifications.
Spoiler
Length: 8.36 m
Wingspan: 11.00 m
Height: 3.15 m
Wing surface area: 20.40 m²
Maximum weight: 3,240 kg
Fuel capacity: 544
Engine: 1x Alfa Romeo RA 1000 RC.41 with 1,175 HP
Maximum speed: 600 km/h at 6,000 m
Tangency: 11 000 m
Armament: 2 × Breda-SAFAT 12.7 mm caliber machine guns with 350 rounds each
Pictures and drawnings.
Sources.
Spoiler
Reggiane Re.2001 - Wikipedia
Reggiane Re 2001
Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II - Wikipedia
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM: Il Reggiane Re.2001, noto anche, non ufficialmente, come "Falco II"
Reggiane Re
Caratteristiche - Reggiane fighters
RE 2001 - Falco II - Pagina 2
Re.2001 Falco II
I Re della Supermodel [2]
RE 2001 - Falco II - Velivoli Storici - Aerei Militari Forum
Re.2001 Falco II Fighter, Italy
Reggiane Re 2001 Falco II
Aerei Italiani - Scheda Tecnica - Reggiane Re.2001
Reggiane Re.2001 | Military Wiki | Fandom
Officine Meccaniche Reggiane: dove si è scritta la storia Gazzetta di Reggio
REGGIANE Re 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2005
Caproni Reggiane Re2001 Falco II, 2002 Ariete & 2005 Sagittario
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