Fiat CR.30

Design and development

The Fiat CR.30 was a new design by Celestino Rosatelli for a single-seat fighter. Four prototypes were built with the first flight occurring in March 1932. The CR.30 was a biplane with W-form interplane struts and a fixed tailwheel landing gear. The aircraft was powered by a 447 kW (600 hp) Fiat A.30 R.A. V-12 piston engine. Two prototypes were entered into an international meeting in Zurich in July 1932 and won the speed circuit contest at average speeds of 340 km/h (211 mph) and 330 km/h (205 mph). The impressive performance led to orders from the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) for 121 aircraft.

Two of the prototypes were converted into two-seaters designated CR.30B for use as refresher trainers and liaison aircraft. A large number of single-seaters were converted into two-seaters as they were replaced with more modern equipment. The air force later ordered an additional 20 new-build CR.30Bs. Two aircraft were converted to seaplanes with the designation CR.30 Idro. The aircraft was also operated by other European air forces with the Hungarian Air Force being the largest foreign operator, using two CR.30s from 1936 and one single-seater and ten CR.30bs from 1938.

Variants

CR.30

Single-seat production variant.

CR.30B

Two-seat variant.

CR.30 Idro

Seaplane variant.

Operators

 Austria

Austrian Air Force received three CR.30 and three CR.30B aircraft.

 Republic of China

Chinese Nationalist Air Force

 Germany

Luftwaffe operated captured former Austrian aircraft.

 Hungary

Royal Hungarian Air Force

 Kingdom of Italy

Regia Aeronautica

 Paraguay

Paraguayan Air Force operated two aircraft from 1939 as advanced trainers.

 Spanish State

Spanish Nationalist Air Force operated two CR.30s from 1938.

 Venezuela

Venezuelan Air Force operated one CR.30 from 1938.

Specifications (CR.30)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1794

General characteristics

Crew: one

Length: 7.88 m (25 ft 7¼ in)

Wingspan: 10.50 m (34 ft 5½ in)

Height: 2.78 m (9 ft 1½ in)

Wing area: 27.05 m² (291.17 ft²)

Empty weight: 1,345 kg (2,965 lb)

Gross weight: 1,895 kg (4,178 lb)

Powerplant: 1 × Fiat A.30 R.A. 12-cylinder Vee piston engine, 447 kW (600 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 351 km/h (218 mph)

Range: 850 km (528 miles)

Service ceiling: 8,350 m (27,845 ft)

Armament

2 × Breda-SAFAT 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine guns (synchronised forward-firing)