Designed by Celestino Rosatelli the Fiat CR42 Falco first flew on the 23 May 1938. It entered service with Regia Aeronautica (53 Stormo) in spring 1939 and served on most fronts as a fighter until the more modern monoplane allied fighters saw it used in a ground support role. A total of 1782 of the six aircraft variants where produced between 1939 and 1944.

The CR42 Falco was also procured by several foreign Air Forces, Hungary (50), Belgium (40) and Sweden (72) aircraft. The Swedish Air Force CR42's (designated J-11) where delivered between February 1940 and September 1941. By November 1941 all of the Falco's where in service and assigned to F9 (Flottilj wing) Save, Gothenburg

The original canopy

The Fighter Collections aircraft is one of 72 aircarft delieverd to the Swedish Airforce, Fv. nr.2542 , marked F9 -10 (Mfg No. 920). This aircraft was damaged whilst on a low flying mission in bad weather at Tarnatjakko, thirty kilometres from Kiruna, in the North of Sweden. The aircarft was being flown by conscript Corporal Pilot 'Bertil Klintman' who did not survive the accident. The damaged aircarft was subsequently recoverd by helicopter in 1983.

Lower Wing

The project was acquired by The Fighter Collection in 1995, and since that time has been subject to a detailed and exhaustive restoration on the collections behalf in Italy and in the UK. We are grateful to the Italian Air Force Historical Dept, the Royal Air Force Museum, at Hendon, and to the Swedish Air Force Museum for their help in our researches.

The Fuselage

Upper Wing