Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II

what is it?

The Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II was an Italian fighter aircraft, serving in the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) during World War II. A contemporary of the renowned Macchi C.202, the production of this type was to be limited to only 252 aircraft, but it was a flexible design that proved to be able to undertake a number of roles. Possessing a relatively high level of maneuverability, the Re.2001 could effectively dogfight against various contemporary fighters, such as the Supermarine Spitfire. The Re.2001 became the basis of a later, more formidable fighter, the Re.2005.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 11 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 542 km/htop speed
• range 1,100 kmwithout refuelling
• size 3,280 kgmax take-off weight
• built 237made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 86 years ago, in 1940.
• 🏎️Top speed is 4.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 11 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,100 km: 6× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.2× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1940-07

introduced

1941

retired

1945

status

retired

number built

237

role

fighter-bomber, night fighter

origin

🇮🇹 Italy

makers

Reggiane

engines

1× Alfa Romeo R.A.1000 R.C.41-I Monsone

crew

1

length

8.4 m

wingspan

11 m

height

3.2 m

max take-off weight

3,280 kg

top speed

542 km/h

range

1,100 km

ceiling

11,000 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.