Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I (Falcon I)

Single-Seat Monoplane Fighter Aircraft

Kingdom of Italy | 1940

"The Italian Reggiane Re.2000 monoplane fighter was initially delivered via export to Hungary and Sweden."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/03/2024 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Reggiane 2000 series of aircraft was very reminiscent of American interwar designs appearing between 1930 and 1940. The Reggiane maintained a stout profile centered around a large engine, rounded edge wings and traditional construction overall. When mated to the German-designed Daimler-Benz 605 series engine, the Reggiane 2005 model was a match for Allied fighters.

This particular Italian aircraft design began as the Re.2000 "Falco" ("Falcon") and was drawn up in 1937. Some limited production examples were put into service with the Italian Navy though other branches paid little attention to the system. The Re.2000 came online as a traditional monoplane fighter design and featured large center-positioned cockpit canopy taking up most of the upper fuselage length. The enlarged engine area gave the Re.2000 the appearance of a portly fighter yet the system would later be capable of speed in excess of 390 miles per hour. Armament (Re.2005) consisted of an impressive array of cannons and machine guns with 3 x 20mm MG151 series cannons and 2 x 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT heavy caliber machine guns in the upper engine cowlings. To round out the features, the Reggiane design also featured a retractable undercarriage. The Re.2005 differed substantially in outward design and appeared with more of an aerodynamic flavor of contemporary aircraft designs.

As partners in crime so often do, Reggiane was offered by Germany the opportunity to trial some Re.2001 designs with the DB 601 inline engines. As successful as the trials were, however, the engines were needed en mass for the German war effort. As a result the DB 601 was accepted for license production under the Alfa Romeo label. By the time of the Re.2005's inception, the DB 605 was being produced by Alfa Romeo and would make the Re.2005 regarded as the most capable of fighter designs built by the Italians in the entire conflict.

By the end of their run, Reggiane Re.2000 series fighters were being used principally as defensive fighters over Italian-held land. As more and more territories fell to the advancing Allies, the Re.2000 series models were grounded from service with a handful of Italian pilots knowingly (and unknowingly) still serving their cause.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I (Falcon I) Single-Seat Monoplane Fighter Aircraft.

1 x Piaggio P.XI RC40 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine developing 986 horsepower.
Propulsion

329 mph
530 kph | 286 kts
Max Speed

36,745 ft
11,200 m | 7 miles
Service Ceiling

339 miles
545 km | 294 nm
Operational Range

3,280 ft/min
1,000 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I (Falcon I) Single-Seat Monoplane Fighter Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

26.2 ft
7.99 m
O/A Length

36.1 ft
(11.00 m)
O/A Width

10.5 ft
(3.20 m)
O/A Height

4,630 lb
(2,100 kg)
Empty Weight

6,614 lb
(3,000 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I (Falcon I) Single-Seat Monoplane Fighter Aircraft .

STANDARD:
2 x 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns in upper engine cowlings.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I (Falcon I) family line.

Re.2000 "Falco 1" (Falcon) - Prototype Re.2000 Model Designation; single example.

Re.2000 Serie I - Initial Production Model; 157 examples produced.

Re.2000 Serie II - Second Production Model; also produced in Hungary under license as the Hejja ("Hawk"); navy catapult version with arrestor gear; fitted with Piaggo P.XIbis engine of 1,025 horsepower.

Re.2000 Serie III - Long Range Fighter; increased fuel capacity over Serie I.

Hejja I - Hungary license production model of the Serie I.

Hejja II - Hungary license production model of the Series I; fitted with WMK 14 series engine of 986 horsepower; 2 x 12.7mm Gebauer machine guns.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I (Falcon I). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 182 Units
Contractor(s): Reggiane - Italy

[ Nazi Germany; Hungary; Kingdom of Italy; Sweden ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 400mph

Lo: 200mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (329mph).

Graph Average of 300 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

182

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

1 / 1

Image of the Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I (Falcon I)

Image from the Public Domain.

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Going Further...
The Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I (Falcon I) Single-Seat Monoplane Fighter Aircraft appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2025 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks U.S. DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols US 5-Star Generals WW2 Weapons by Country

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.

Part of a network of sites that includes Global Firepower, WDMMA.org, WDMMW.org, and World War Next.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)