Reggiane Re.2000

Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I on italialaisvalmisteinen torjuntahävittäjä. Konetyyppi kehitettiin hieman ennen toista maailmansotaa, ja sen ensi lento tapahtui vuonna 1938. Sen valmistanut Reggiane oli Caproni-yhtymän tytäryhtiö. 

Caproni ei itse suunnitellut eikä valmistanut hävittäjälentokoneita. Re.2000 oli mäntämoottorihävittäjä, jonka potkuria pyöritti tähtimoottori, ja se oli valmistajansa tuotantomallien (Re.2000-2005) ensimmäinen. Se oli aikailaisiinsa verrattuna sekä lento-ominaisuuksiltaan että suorituskyvyltään erinomainen.

Kone oli huippunopeudeltaan (530 km/h) nopeimpia ennen sodan alkua valmistuneista. Lakikorkeus oli 10 500 metriä ja enimmäistoimintamatka 1 400 kilometriä. Koneessa oli kuitenkin vain kevyehkö aseistus, johon kuului vain kaksi 12,7 millimetrin konekivääriä yläpuolella eturungossa.

Italia ei hyväksynyt tyyppiä laajamittaiseen tuotantoon eikä aluksi Regia Aeronautican lentokalustoksi. Ilmeisesti Piaggio P.XI -moottori ei ollut kovin varmatoiminen, alitehoinen se ei kuitenkaan suinkaan ollut, sillä jo perusversion teho oli 985 hevosvoimaa. 

Sen sijaan sekä Ruotsi että Unkari ostivat sitä omien ilmavoimiensa kokomittoihin suhteutettuna suurin määrin. Unkarissa tyyppi tunnettiin nimellä Heja (suom. 'haukka').

Fiat CR.42 käytti samaa ”Haukka”-nimitystä (italiaksi Falco). Pieni määrä Re.2000-koneita päätyi Italian ilmavoimien käyttöön, ja siitä tehtiin pääasiassa rynnäköintiin soveltuva. Moottorista valmistettiin paranneltu 1 025 hevosvoiman tehon antanut versio P.XI bis, ja sen polttoainetilavuutta kasvatettiin. Siten toimintamatka kasvoi ja rynnäköinnissä voitiin paremmin käyttää pommeja.

Toinen yhtäläisyys liittyy konetyypin muotoprofiiliin, joka on hämmästyttävän samankaltainen kuin amerikkalaisen Seversky P-35:n.

Moottori oli Piaggio P. XI RC.40 -tyypin tähtimoottori. Alkuversio tuotti tehoa 985 hevosvoimaa eli 735 kW. Parannetun XIbis -version tarjoama tehontuotto oli 1 025 hevosvoimaa (764 kW).

Ruotsiin valmistettiin 60 kappaletta, sekä Unkariin 70 lentokonetta. Italiaan valmistui noin 1½ - 2 lentokonelaivueen verran eli 27 koneyksilöä. Lisäksi Unkarissa tuotettiin vajaat 200 hävittäjäkonetta lisenssillä ja ranskalaisella Gnome-Rhône 14K -moottorilla varustettu.

Ruotsi käytti omia Reggiane Re.2000 -hävittäjiään sota-ajan päättymiseen, vuoteen 1945 asti. Chantin mukaan käytön lopettaminen olisi tapahtunut vuonna 1946. Käytöstä poiston syynä lienee ollut varaosien saannin vaikeus Italiasta.

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Seversky P-35

Reggiane Re. 2000

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Length: 7.99 m 

Wingspan: 11.00 m 

Height: 3.20 m

Wing area: 20.40 m² 

Empty weight: 2,090 kg 

Loaded weight: 2,839 kg 

Powerplant: 1 × Piaggio P.XI RC 40 14-cyl. twi-row air-cooler radial engine, 

986 hp / 736 kW at 4,000 m 

Propellers: Piaggion-D'Ascanio P.1001 three-bladed constant speed propeller

Propeller diameter: 3.10 m 

Maximum speed: 530 km/h  at 5,300 m 

Cruise speed: 440 km/h 

Range: 545 km 

Endurance: 1.25 hours

Service ceiling: 11,200 m (practical ceiling) Climb to 4,000 m: 4 min

Armament: 2× 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns

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The Caproni-Reggiane Re.2000 Falco-I was an Italian all metal, low-wing, monoplane with a Curtiss-style retractable undercarriage, used in the first part of World War II. This lightly built and highly maneuverable interceptor/fighter, similar to the Seversky P-35, flew for the first time in 1939. It proved a technically advanced aircraft, well balanced and extremely aerodynamic, but not without its faults.

Although potentially superior to Italian contemporary fighters (Fiat G.50 and Macchi C.200), the Re.2000 was not considered satisfactory by Italian military authorities. Consequently, the manufacturer built it for export and almost all of the first production served with the Swedish Air Force and Hungarian Air Force, rather than in the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force).

The Reggiane Re.2000 was designed by Roberto Longhi and Antonio Alessio in 1938. They took inspiration from the contemporary Seversky P-35 which it superficially resembled. The Re.2000 was the first aircraft designed by Reggiane that employed aluminum stressed skin rather than the wooden or mixed wood and metal structures normally used in contemporary Italian aircraft such as the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 built by Reggiane under license. 

Reggiane introduced several advanced features: a modern structure, well more advanced than the ones used in Macchi's and other Italian fighters of the time; an elliptical wing, with five spars and integral fuel tanks. Reggiane Re.2000 had no fuselage tanks, but nevertheless, with the entire wing volume devoted to fuel, it had up to 460 kg (640 lt) gasoline, with a 900 1,100 km endurance, far better than Macchis and Fiats. The armament was still two 12.7 mm Breda's (300 rounds each), plus the provision for bomblet-dispensers (spezzoniera).

The Re.2000 prototype's first flight was on 24 May 1939 at Reggio Emilia, flown by Mario De Bernardi. The Re.2000, with 260 kg fuel (the maximum was 460 kg/640 lt, but RA did not needed it) was quite light: 2,059 kg empty, 2,529 kg loaded. It reached 518 km/h at 5,250 m and 506 km/h/6,000 m, climbed to 6,000 m in 6,5 min, and had 11,500 m ceiling. 

During test flights the aircraft gave an excellent performance, and on several occasions, it performed better than other fighters then in production. 

In mock dogfights, it could successfully fight not only the slower Fiat CR.42 biplane, but even the more modern Macchi C.200 and the German Bf 109E.

The Re.2000GA (Grande Autonomia) version, added extra 340 liters fuel tanks. This version should have been used to reach Eastern Africa, but it wasn't ready before the Italian defeat; the only fighter sent to reinforce Regia Aeronautica units were 51 C.R.42s disassembled and transported by the large Savoia-Marchetti SM.82s. Re.2000GAs were heavier and significantly slower than the standard production Re.2000s. At an empty weight was 2,190 kg compared to the Re.2000's 2,080 kg, maximum speed was 520 km/h at 5,300 m. 

Armament was two 12.7 mm SAFAT with 600 rounds, and provisions for a Nardi dispenser with 88 2 kg bomblets (a typical 'special armament' for Re.2000s). The Re.2000GA was never really reliable (even for Re.2000 standards), especially its troublesome engine.

The Re.2000bis equipped with P XI bis engine was built in small numbers with only nine examples delivered when 377a Sq. was born, in August 1941.

In service, the Re.2000's weak point was the engine, a 986 hp (735 kW) Piaggio P.XI RC 40 radial, which was not altogether reliable. Moreover, it was not as rugged as the Macchi and its fuel tanks were vulnerable (they were not self-sealing). 

Consequently, the Regia Aeronautica rejected it.

The Reggiane Re.2000 was much more prominent in the Hungarian 

and Swedish air forces. 

In fact, 80 percent of Re.2000 production went to these two countries, with Hungary ordering 70 and Sweden 60 machines. Other countries also exhibited interest, but did not place orders.

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In December 1939 a British commission, led by Lord Hardwick and Air Ministry representatives, came to Italy to purchase (along with marine engines, armaments and light reconnaissance bombers) 300 Re 2000s. The Director of Aircraft Contracts confirmed the British order in January 1940. 

The German government approved the sale in March of the same year, but withdrew its approval the following month. The Italian and British governments then decided to complete the contract through the Italian Caproni’s Portuguese subsidiary, but the British order was cancelled when Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940.