Advertisements

Aviation / Aerospace

Fiat Cr.25

Multirole Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter Aircraft [ 1940 ]

THe Fiat Cr.25 was another promising twin-engined design of the Italians during World War 2 that failed to be developed fully.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/07/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Advertisements

The 1930s and 1940s was the pinnacle of the "heavy fighter", a combat aircraft type bridging the gap between fighter and light bomber. These were platforms typically making use of a dual-engine layout with two (or more) crewmembers and charged with various sortie types including interception, reconnaissance and bomber escort. The FIAT Cr.25 was another Italian entry into this category and the series became nothing more than a limited-run product for the company as the nation went to war alongside ally German in September of 1939.

Following the disappointment that was the Breda Ba.88 ground attack platform (a speedster that suffered when military equipment was installed on it), the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) still required a steady "twin" with adequate firepower so this led to the service to pursue the CR.25 ad some forty were contracted for to fulfill the reconnaissance role.

FIAT flew the design in prototype form on July 22nd, 1937 and it proved promising. Maximum speed could reach nearly 285 miles per hour and a sufficient operational range of 925 miles was possible. The aircraft could manage altitudes nearing 26,000 feet. Power was from 2 x FIAT A.74 RC.38 air-cooled radial piston engines and each developed 840 horsepower while driving three-bladed propellers. The engines were fitted to each wing mainplane's leading edge in typical fashion.©MilitaryFactory.com

Advertisements

On the whole, the aircraft was a modern offering for its time. The fuselage was smooth and well-contoured for aerodynamic efficiency. The cockpit was stepped and allowed excellent vision over-the-nose during flight and clear views of either engine should a problem arise. The mainplanes were fitted forward of midships and the tail arrange in a traditional single-finned configuration with low-set horizontal planes. The undercarriage was wheeled at both main legs and a tail wheel brought up the rear. Original proposed armament was 4 x 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT heavy machine guns (all in fixed, forward-firing mounts) and a bomb load of 660lb could be carried for the fighter-bomber role. Construction was of all-metal and relied on lightweight alloys skinned over in fabric.

While the Cr.25 could be operated by a base crew of two, a third crewmember would be added for the bomber configuration to take some of the mission workload away from the other operators.

The primary reconnaissance form was simply designated "Cr.25" and two prototypes were built to satisfy its development. This airframe could also double as a bomber when needed. The "Cr.25bis" was the definitive long-range reconnaissance platform of the series that could double as a fighter or bomber escort and ten were produced to the standard. Its armament was reduced to 2 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns. The "Cr.25D" was the 10th pre-series airframe pulled aside and modified for the VIP passenger transport role - handling service between Rome and Berlin for high-level personnel. The "Cr.25quater" became an abandoned version with greater wing surface area and an improved armament scheme. First-flown in 1940, nothing more came of this mark as far as is known.

Despite the forty-strong order, just ten of the aircraft actually entered service in time for the fighting of World War 2. Those that did fight see service fought under the banner of the 173rd "Strategic Land Reconnaissance Squadron" from July 1941 on. In service, the fleet was primarily used to escort Italian convoys and undertook this role until January 1943, by which point the series was withdrawn from frontline service. The Cr.25 therefore became another Italian twin-engined design that failed to find the needed support from within to become something greater to the Italian war effort. No more than twelve aircraft were produced.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1940

Origin

Kingdom of Italy

Crew

2

Production

12
UNITS

Fiat - Kingdom of Italy

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Kingdom of Italy (limited service)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.

✓ Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.

✓ Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

Length

44.5 ft
(13.55 m)

Width/Span

52.5 ft
(16.00 m)

Height

10.8 ft
(3.30 m)

Empty Wgt

9,877 lb
(4,480 kg)

MTOW

14,606 lb
(6,625 kg)

Wgt Diff

+4,729 lb
(+2,145 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Fiat Cr.25 production variant)

Installed: 2 x Fiat A.74 RC.38 air-cooled radial piston engines developing 840 horsepower each and driving three-bladed propeller units.

Max Speed

286 mph
(460 kph | 248 kts)

Ceiling

26,247 ft
(8,000 m | 5 mi)

Range

932 mi
(1,500 km | 2,778 nm)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Fiat Cr.25 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

STANDARD:
4 x 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT heavy machine guns in fixed, forward-firing mounts.

OPTIONAL:
Up to 660lb of conventional drop ordnance.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft heavy machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 2

Cr.25 - Base Series Designation; two prototypes completed in reconnaissance-bomber guise.

Cr.25bis - Definitive form for reconnaissance-fighter role; ten pre-series examples completed.

Cr.25D - 10th pre-series Cr.25 aircraft modified for the VIP role.

Cr.25quater - Model of 1940; improved armament scheme and increased wing surface area for improved stability; not adopted.

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Advertisements

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons.

View day-by-day actions of the American Civil War with CivilWarTimeline.net. View day-by-day actions of World War II with SecondWorldWarHistory.com.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)