Fiat CR.42 Falco

This immensely strong and very manoeuvrable biplane fighter had a major weakness: its armament of two machine guns was no more than that of a First World War fighter and it was unable to inflict major damage on its opponents. The Italian dictator Mussolini sent a force of bombers and fighters to take part in the air battles against Great Britain. Bad weather and obsolescent equipment meant that the venture was not a success. Very little combat with British fighters took place over the British Isles and often ended badly: our example landing as a result of a broken oil pipe on the beach at Orford Ness, Suffolk.