0:02 Most people forget Italy flew an entire
0:05 arsenal of World War II planes. From
0:07 deadly torpedo bombers to sleek fighters
0:10 that challenged the Allies, here's every
0:13 Italian aircraft in the war. Biplane
0:16 fighters Fiat CR32.
0:18 It was extremely [music] nimble and a
0:21 favorite of many pilots, but by 1940, it
0:23 was thoroughly outclassed by modern
0:26 monoplanes. Yet, Italian pilots flew it
0:29 bravely in North Africa and Greece. Fiat
0:32 CR42 Falco [music] known as the Falcon.
0:34 This was perhaps the finest combat
0:36 biplane ever built. It excelled in dog
0:39 fights below 13,000 ft. The Royal Air
0:41 Force [music] recognized its amazing
0:43 turn radius, but its top speed was
0:45 simply too low for success in [music]
0:49 later theaters. Imam Row 44, a very rare
0:52 type, this singleseat float plane
0:55 fighter was derived from the RO43
0:57 reconnaissance craft. It had limited
1:00 production used primarily for defending
1:02 major naval bases and coastal patrol
1:04 duties. Next on the list is monoplane
1:09 fighters Fiat G50 Fretia. The Arrow was
1:11 Italy's first low-wing all-metal
1:14 monoplane fighter. It suffered initially
1:16 from a lack of decent arament and an
1:18 open cockpit. It was reliable but
1:21 quickly overshadowed by newer designs.
1:25 Now this is the Matchi C200 Scetta. This
1:28 fighter named Lightning was a very
1:30 sturdy and trustworthy design. Pilots
1:32 praised its excellent maneuverability
1:35 and structural strength. However, the
1:37 relatively lowowered engine prevented it
1:39 from competing with Allied machines at
1:43 higher altitudes. [music] Rean Ray 2000
1:45 Falco 1. This design was highly advanced
1:48 for its time. It featured stress skin
1:50 construction and strong performance.
1:52 Italian authorities declined mass
1:54 production due to concerns over the
1:57 self-sealing fuel tanks. Many were
1:59 exported ironically to Hungary and
2:04 Sweden. Reani Ray 2001 Falco 2. This was
2:06 a significant improvement over its
2:09 predecessor. It adopted the superior
2:12 German Dameler Ben's [music] DB 601
2:15 engine. This transformation made it one
2:17 of Italy's best early war fighters. It
2:19 served effectively as a fighter bomber
2:23 as well. Rean Ray 2002
2:26 Ariete named Ram. This machine was
2:28 developed when supplies of the German DB
2:31 601 engine became scarce. It reverted to
2:34 [music] a powerful radial motor. It
2:36 excelled in the ground attack role,
2:37 especially during the Allied [music]
2:41 landings in Sicily in 1943. Next on the
2:44 list is series 5 fighters late war.
2:48 Machi C2102 Fulgare, the true star of
2:50 the early Raia Aeronautica.
2:53 The Thunderbolt successfully mated the
2:56 superb Machi airframe with the powerful
2:59 German DB 601 engine. It finally allowed
3:02 Italian pilots to meet Allied Spitfires
3:06 on equal terms. Matchi C205 Veltro. This
3:08 fighter, the Greyhound, was the ultimate
3:12 evolution of the Matchi 2000 line.
3:13 Utilizing the larger, more powerful
3:17 German DB 605 engine, it was truly
3:19 competitive. Many pilots considered it
3:22 Italy's finest fighter aircraft of the
3:25 entire war. Fiat G55 Centurro. The
3:27 Centaur was another exceptional high
3:30 alitude fighter. It also used the German
3:34 DB 605 engine considered by many experts
3:36 including the Germans to be technically
3:40 superior even to the Messmitt BF 109.
3:42 Its production came tragically late.
3:47 Reani Ray 2005. Sagittario the Archer
3:48 was the final and most aesthetically
3:51 pleasing of the Italian Siri 5 fighters.
3:53 It boasted superb handling and
3:56 blistering speed. Although only a
3:58 handful were built, it represented the
4:00 absolute pinnacle of Italian piston
4:02 engine fighter design. Next on the list
4:05 is heavy fighters and night fighters.
4:07 Imam Row 57.
4:09 This was an ambitious twin engine heavy
4:11 fighter. It was intended [music] for
4:13 high-speed interception. Unfortunately,
4:15 technical difficulties and the demand
4:17 for single engine fighters severely
4:20 limited its deployment and it saw
4:22 minimal combat action. The next one,
4:24 Fiat CR25.
4:26 A fairly rare twin engine design that
4:28 primarily served in the reconnaissance
4:30 and escort roles. It proved quite
4:33 reliable, specializing in photographing
4:35 [music] enemy fleet movements over the
4:39 Mediterranean. Caproni Vitzella F5. This
4:41 highly maneuverable monoplane was
4:42 designed specifically to be lightweight
4:45 and fast. Though it showed promise in
4:47 testing, only a few were produced,
4:49 serving mostly as advanced fighter
4:51 trainers throughout the conflict,
4:53 continuing with medium and torpedo
4:56 bombers. Savvoya Marchetti SM79
5:00 Sparvier, the legendary 3engine Sparrow
5:03 Hawk, easily the most recognizable and
5:04 successful Italian [music] bomber of the
5:07 war. It was famously rugged and
5:09 effective as a torpedo bomber, earning
5:11 the respect of the Royal Navy across the
5:15 Mediterranean. Savvoya Marchetti SM81
5:19 Pippus Strello known as the BAT. This
5:21 tri motor was the predecessor to the SM79.
5:22 SM79.
5:24 It was already obsolete when the war
5:27 began. It spent the conflict primarily
5:28 flying night missions or carrying
5:31 essential troop and cargo transport.
5:34 Seavoya Marchetti SM84 designed to
5:38 modernize the successful SM79 line. This
5:39 three engine craft featured better
5:42 armorament. However, pilots found it
5:44 less stable and harder to handle than
5:46 the old Sparrow hawk, limiting its
5:50 overall effectiveness. Fiat BR20 Sakona,
5:52 the stalk, was an early Italian bomber
5:54 that participated briefly in the Battle
5:57 of Britain in 1940. It was rugged but
6:00 slow. It was quickly relegated to
6:02 secondary roles, primarily serving in
6:03 the Far East [music] with the Japanese
6:08 Air Force. Up next, Kant Z7 Alcion. The
6:10 Kingfisher was a very robust
6:13 three-engine medium bomber. It was known
6:15 for its wooden airframe construction,
6:17 which allowed it to absorb significant
6:19 damage. It was widely used for
6:21 reconnaissance and bombing over the
6:25 Balkans and North Africa. Kant Z1018
6:27 Leone named Lion. [music] This was
6:30 Italy's most advanced twin engine bomber
6:32 project. It featured an allmetal
6:34 stressed skin design. Although
6:35 significantly [music]
6:37 better than earlier types, production
6:39 delays meant it missed the main fighting
6:42 phases of the war. Moving on to heavy
6:45 bombers, PAIO P8.
6:47 This was the only 4ine heavy bomber
6:50 employed by the Reia Aeronautica. It saw
6:53 limited operational use. It was mainly
6:55 used for [music] longrange maritime
6:57 patrols and night bombing, showing
7:00 potential that was never fully realized.
7:01 Now let's look at dive bombers and
7:04 ground attack. Brada Bar 65, a
7:07 singleseat low-wing monoplane used
7:09 extensively for ground attack and dive
7:11 bombing in the Spanish Civil War. By
7:14 1940, it suffered heavy losses due to
7:16 its slow speed and weak defensive armor.
7:20 Brada Bar8 [music] Lintz. The Lynx is
7:22 perhaps Italy's most famous wartime
7:25 flop. It was designed to be a high-speed
7:28 reconnaissance aircraft. Once fully
7:29 loaded with equipment, it became
7:32 critically slow and unstable. Most were
7:35 quickly grounded and abandoned. Seavoya
7:37 Marchetti SM85.
7:39 An unfortunate attempt to create a twin
7:42 engine dive bomber. It proved incredibly
7:44 unreliable and mechanically fragile in
7:47 operation. It was withdrawn from
7:49 firstline service after barely a year of
7:54 disappointing performance. Caproni K314
7:56 a versatile twin engine transport light
7:59 bomber and reconnaissance machine. It
8:01 was a further development in the Caproni
8:04 300 series served diligently in the
8:06 logistical support role across the
8:09 Mediterranean theater continuing with
8:12 sea planes and flying boats. Kant Z501
8:15 Gabaniano known as the Seagull. This was
8:17 a widely used [music] and recognizable
8:20 longrange reconnaissance flying boat. It
8:22 was slow and vulnerable, but its
8:24 reliability made it essential for search
8:27 and rescue and anti-ubmarine patrols.
8:31 The next one, Kant Z506 Eron, the 3ine
8:34 Heron, was one of the finest hydroplane
8:36 aircraft of the era. It was fast and
8:39 remarkably sturdy. Used primarily for
8:41 search and rescue, longrange maritime
8:44 patrol, and occasional bombing missions.
8:47 via RS14, a dedicated twin engine
8:49 maritime reconnaissance and
8:52 anti-ubmarine float plane. It was valued
8:54 for its long range and solid endurance
8:57 over open water, serving effectively
9:01 until the armistice Imam Row 43. This
9:03 distinctive float plane was the standard
9:05 reconnaissance aircraft for major
9:07 Italian naval vessels. It was launched
9:10 via catapult. It played a key role in
9:12 spotting and reporting during naval
9:14 engagements in the Mediterranean.
9:18 Caproni car 316, a lesserknown float
9:21 plane version of the Caproni 300 series.
9:23 It was primarily designed for coastal
9:25 patrol duties and often employed for
9:27 liazison and transport around harbors.
9:29 Next on the list is land-based
9:32 reconnaissance. Caproni car 309 Gibli
9:35 named after the hot desert wind. This
9:37 twin engine monoplane was a lightweight
9:39 utility aircraft [music] designed
9:41 specifically for colonial police and
9:43 reconnaissance duties in North Africa.
9:48 Caproni car 310 LEIO, the Southwest
9:49 Wind, [music] was an early
9:50 reconnaissance bomber that saw
9:53 widespread service across various
9:55 theaters. It was sold internationally,
9:57 but its performance was deemed
10:00 insufficient for modern combat by 1940.
10:04 Caproni K 311 distinguished by its
10:05 extensive [music] use of glazing in the
10:08 nose section offering superb visibility
10:11 for reconnaissance crews. It was used
10:13 mainly for visual and photographic
10:17 mapping missions. Caproni Car 313, one
10:20 of the more successful multi-roll light
10:21 bombers and trainers [music] in the
10:24 Caproni series. It was widely exported,
10:26 proving itself reliable and adaptable
10:28 for reconnaissance and light attack
10:32 roles. Imam Row 37, a very sturdy
10:34 biplane used extensively for army
10:36 cooperation [music] and reconnaissance
10:38 particularly in Ethiopia and the early
10:40 campaigns in North Africa. It was
10:42 reliable but suffered heavily when
10:45 encountering enemy fighters. Now let's
10:47 look at transport and liaison. Savvoya
10:51 Maretti SM82 Kangaroo. The massive trio
10:54 kangaroo was a crucial strategic
10:56 transport. It was famous for its immense
10:59 range and payload capacity, enabling
11:01 complex long-d distanceance missions,
11:03 including strategic supply drops over
11:06 the Soviet Union. The next one, Seavoya
11:09 Marchetti SM73,
11:11 an early tri motor passenger and cargo
11:14 aircraft. It was already aging when the
11:16 war started. It provided essential
11:18 transport and logistical support
11:20 throughout the conflict, often serving
11:22 on dangerous supply routes. Seavoya
11:25 Marchetti SM74,
11:27 a large unusual high-wing transport
11:30 [music] aircraft. It offered exceptional
11:33 interior space for cargo or troops used
11:35 primarily by the military for moving
11:37 priority supplies and specialized
11:42 equipment. Savvoya Marchetti SM75,
11:44 a very reliable triot transport that
11:46 served as the backbone of the Italian
11:49 military's air supply chain. It was
11:51 adaptable, often modified for longrange
11:54 special missions and liaison duties.
11:58 Savoya Marchetti SM83, a luxurious and
12:01 fast triot airliner converted for high
12:03 priority [music] transport roles, often
12:05 used for moving top military commanders
12:07 or critical documents quickly across the
12:10 [music] Mediterranean. Fiat G12, a
12:12 highly successful modern three engine
12:14 transport [music] that arrived later in
12:17 the war. It was robust, spacious, and
12:18 possessed [music] excellent range,
12:21 making it vital for supply operations
12:23 after the fall of North Africa. Caproni
12:27 car 133, a successful tri motor
12:29 transport aircraft dating back to the
12:31 mid 1930s.
12:33 It was a true workhorse essential for
12:35 rapid troop deployment and freight
12:37 operations, especially in Italian East
12:42 Africa. Caproni car 148. This was a
12:44 modernized derivative of the successful
12:47 CA133 design. It featured better engines
12:49 and [music] structural improvements. It
12:51 served primarily in training and
