Caliaro, Luigino Reggiane Fighters

RE.2000 Falco, RE.2001 Ariete I, RE.2002 Ariete II, RE.2005 Sagittario

In the final volume of his trilogy on the most important Italian fighter aircraft types of the Second World War, aviation historian Luigino Caliaro tells the story of Reggiane aircraft. In the mid-1930s, influenced by aircraft designs from the United States, Reggiane began work on the RE.2000 Falco, an all-metal aircraft with a radial engine, which made its maiden flight in May 1939. An adaptation of the RE.2000 to accommodate the German liquid-cooled Daimler-Benz 601A engine led to the RE.2001 Ariete I, of which more than 230 were delivered to the Regia Aeronautica. It was used in 1942 to escort Italian and German bombers during attacks on Malta and for fighter missions. The RE.2002 Ariete II was a fighter-bomber/ground attack aircraft with a 14-cylinder radial engine from Piaggio, which was used by the Regia Aeronautica against Allied ships and troops, particularly during the Allied invasion of Sicily. The book also examines the design ideas behind the RE.2003 and RE.2005 Sagittario, which were among the last fighter aircraft to enter service with the Regia Aeronautica and, like the RE.2002, were used in limited numbers by the Luftwaffe. Using company documents and military archives, the book describes in detail the design and development of each type, as well as production, prototypes and technical aspects, and also covers camouflage and markings, as well as descriptions of the Reggiane fighters that have survived to this day. With hundreds of rare and fascinating photos, ephemera, colour illustrations and technical drawings, this book reflects the exemplary analysis and attention to detail of the author's previous studies on Macchi and FIAT fighters.