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CR.30
Fiat CR.30
Role Single-seat fighter biplane
Manufacturer Fiat
Designer Celestino Rosatelli
First flight March 1932
Introduction 1932
Primary users Regia Aeronautica
Hungarian Air Force
Produced 1932-1935
Number built 176

The Fiat CR.30 was a 1930s Italian single-seat biplane fighter aircraft designed by Celestino Rosatelli and built by Fiat.

Design and development[]

The Fiat CR.30 was a new design by Celestino Rosatelli for a single-seat fighter. Four prototypes were built with the first flight occurring in March 1932. The CR.30 was a biplane with W-form interplane struts and a fixed tailwheel landing gear. The aircraft was powered by a 447 kW (600 hp) Fiat A.30 R.A. V-12 piston engine. Two prototypes were entered into an international meeting at Zurich in July 1932 and won the speed circuit contest at average speeds of 340 km/h (210 mph) and 330 km/h (210 mph). The impressive performance led to orders from the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) for 121 aircraft.

Two of the prototypes were converted into two-seaters designated CR.30B for use as refresher trainers and liaison aircraft. A large number of single-seaters were converted into two-seaters as they were replaced with more modern equipment. The air force later ordered an additional 20 new-build CR.30Bs. Two aircraft were converted to seaplanes with the designation CR.30 Idro. The aircraft was also operated by other European air forces with the Hungarian Air Force being the largest foreign operator, using two CR.30s from 1936 and one single-seater and 10 CR.30bs from 1938.

Variants[]

CR.30
Single-seat production variant.
CR.30B
Two-seat variant.
CR.30 Idro
Seaplane variant.

Operators[]

Flag of Austria Austria
Flag of the Republic of China Republic of China
Flag of German Reich (1935–1945) Nazi Germany
  • Luftwaffe operated captured former Austrian aircraft.
Flag of Hungary (1920–1946) Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned Kingdom of Italy
Flag of Paraguay 1842 Paraguay
Flag of Spain under Franco 1938 1945 Spanish State
  • Spanish Nationalist Air Force operated two CR.30s from 1938.
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954) Venezuela

Specifications (CR.30)[]

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1794

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 7.88 m (25 ft 7¼ in)
  • Wingspan: 10.50 m (34 ft 5½ in)
  • Height: 2.78 m (9 ft 1½ in)
  • Wing area: 27.05 m2 (291.17 ft2)
  • Empty weight: 1,345 kg (2,965 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,895 kg (4,178 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Fiat A.30 R.A. 12-cylinder Vee piston engine, 447 kW (600 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 351 km/h (218 mph)
  • Range: 850 km (528 miles)
  • Service ceiling: 8,350 m (27,845 ft)

Armament

  • 2 × Breda-SAFAT 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine guns (synchronised forward-firing)
  • See also[]

    References[]

    1. Haubner, F (1982). Die Flugzeuge der Österreichischen Luftstreitkräfte vor 1938. H Weishaupt Verlag, Graz
    • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1794
    All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
    The original article can be found at Fiat CR.30 and the edit history here.
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