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Italy's Fiat C.R.32 fighter¹

Fiat C.R.32 fighter:

Fiat C.R.32 fighter:

Fiat C.R.32 fighter:

Design

The Fiat C.R.32 was based on the Fiat C.R.30.¹

The C.R.32 was of metal construction covered in fabric.¹

Prototype

The first C.R.32 flew on April 28, 1933.¹

Production

Fiat produced the C.R.32 until 1939.¹

• C.R.32: 291¹
• C.R.32bis: 380¹
  • Production started in 1935.¹
• C.R.32ter: 150¹
  • Production started in 1937.¹
• C.R.32quater: 451¹
  • Fiat: 351¹
  • Hispano-Suiza (HA-132-L): 100¹
• Total: 1,272¹

Variants

• C.R.32: Two MGs.¹
• C.R.32bis: Four MGs.¹
• C.R.32ter: Only two MGs in nose.¹
• C.R.32quater: Lighter weight.¹
• HA-132-L Chirri ("chirper"): The Hispano-Suiza version of the C.R.32quater.¹ 40 later converted to two seaters.¹

Usage

Austria, China, Hungary, Italy, Paraguay (5 C.R.32ter), Spain, and Venezuela used the C.R.32.¹

Spanish Civil War

The C.R.32bis was used in the Spanish Civil War.¹

Regia Aeronautica

The Regia Aeronautica had ~400 C.R.32s at the end of 1939.¹

The Fiat C.R.32 was used in the Greek and East African campaigns as close support and night fighters.¹ Afterwards they were used primarily in training.¹

Spain

Hispano-Suiza license built the C.R.32 from 1940 to 1943.¹

	Fiat C.R.321	Fiat C.R.32 bis1
Type	Fighter1
Crew	11
Engine (Type)	Fiat A 30 RA1	Fiat A 30 RAbis1
Cylinders	V 121
HP	6001	6001
Cooling
Propeller blades	21	21
Dimensions
Span	31' 2"1 9.5 m1
Length	24' 5.5"1 7.45 m1
Height	8' 11"1 2.72 m1
Wing area
Weight
Empty	3,042 lb1 1,380 kg1	3,210 lb1 1,380 kg1
Loaded	4,200 lb1 1,905 kg1	4,350 lb1 1,973 kg1
Performance
Speed at sea level	205 mph1 330 kph1
Speed @ 9,840' / 3,000 m	221 mph1 357 kph1
Cruising speed	196 mph1 315 kph1
Climb	2,000'/minute1 610 m/minute1
Climb to 9,840' / 3,000 m	5.2 minutes1
Service ceiling	25,750'1 7,850 m1
Range	485 miles1 780 km1
Armament
Nose	2: 12.7 mm MG1	2: 12.7 mm MG1
Wings		2: 7.7 mm MG1
Bombs		1: 220 lb1 1: 100 kg1
OR		2: 110 lb1 2: 50 kg1

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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