Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II
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, but it was a flexible design that proved to be able to undertake a number of roles. Thanks to its maneuverability it could dogfight with more powerful opponents like the Supermarine Spitfire. The Re.2001 became the basis of a later, more formidable fighter, the Re.2005. Design and development The Reggiane Re.2001 was a development of the Re.2000 Falco I which had been rejected by the Regia Aeronautica primarily because of its unprotected fuel tanks in the wing, which were merely sealed voids between the spars, and secondly its engine. This was the main problem the Falco II set out to fix, now having a Alfa Romeo inline engine (a more powerful and reliable license-built German DB 601) rather than a Piaggio P.XI radial engine. Incorporating much of the Re.2000's fuselage structure, even retaining the entire tail unit, the Re.2001's wings were of semi-elliptical design with three spars in each wing. The initial design had conventional fuel tanks with total