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Aircraft of the Aces 90 At the start of the Second World War, several nations still flew biplanes, including Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and Italy. The latter put forth the Fiat CR.42, which many state was the pinnacle of biplane fighter design. Although outclassed in terms of top speed, few monoplanes could match the CR.42 in terms of maneuverability. In Italian, Hungarian, and Belgian service, the nimble Fiat saw combat on all European and African fronts. This latest title in the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces series details the attractive Fiat CR.42 in all nations' service, including a brief mention of their operations in Swedish and Luftwaffe hands (although none of those achieved ace status). The book is very well researched and filled with detailed accounts of the CR.42 in combat. In fact, while the opening stages of the Second World War are well covered in other books, they tend to take a German or British side, so seeing this period through the eyes of a secondary player is quite interesting. Like most other Aircraft of the Aces titles, this one is packed full of photos and color illustrations. While many of the photos can be found in other CR.42 references, there are some that are new to me. The color illustrations are well done and show the varied and colorful schemes applied to the Fiat CR.42. Overall, this is a great introduction to the Fiat CR.42, and one which will leave you wanting more Italian coverage. My thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy. |
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