CR.32

This page is about the Italian biplane CR.32. For other versions, see CR.32 bis and CR.32 quater.

CR.32

CR.32 quater

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/7/74/Cockpit_cr_32.jpg

CR.32

CR.32 quater

Italy

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.0	1.0	1.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:Free

Purchase:Free

Show in game

Description

The CR.32 is a rank I reserve Italian biplane with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica".

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 3 100 m372 km/h

Turn time14 s

Max altitude9 000 m

EngineFiat A30

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight2 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 3,100 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	363	349	9000	14.2	15.1	7.3	7.3	150
Upgraded	381	372		13.9	14.0	13.1	9.6

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	X	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
590	590	N/A	N/A	N/A	~15	~7

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 200	< 300	< 300	> 190

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,600 m	591 hp	N/A

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural590 km/h

Gear590 km/h

• No armour plates or bulletproof glass
• Self-sealing fuel tank: between engine and pilot

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

ABfree

RBfree

SBfree

Total cost of modifications3 270

148

Talisman cost190

Crew trainingfree

Experts1 000

Aces10

Research Aces80 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

10 / 10 / 50 %

100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Research: 440 Cost: 19 35 Airframe Compressor Research: 750 Cost: 35 55 Wings repair Engine Cover	EFS Research: 1 100 Cost: 50 80	safat12_belt_pack Research: 440 Cost: 19 35 safat12_new_gun Research: 540 Cost: 25 40

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun

Ammunition700 rounds

Fire rate700 shots/min

The CR.32 is armed with:

• 2 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, nose-mounted (350 rpg = 700 total)

The two machine guns are clustered in the nose of the aircraft, just in front of the pilot. Each is armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means that all guns will fire with each other until empty.

Usage in battles

As a biplane, you can easily out turn most opponents. However, the most deadly thing about the CR.32 is its twin 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns. Equipped with air targets belt. It can easily set other planes on fire. The only downside is the lack of protection for the pilot and speed. The recommended tactic is to always have an altitude advantage over your enemies. Do not turn too much and fire your machine gun is bursts as you have limited ammo.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Combined	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• 12.7 mm MGs are great for knocking out pilots and penetrating enemy armour plates
• Nose-mounted MGs mean little convergence work is needed
• Excellent dive speed
• Surprisingly good turning against bigger fighters
• Fixed gear makes it easy to land
• Great all-round vision provided by the open cockpit especially towards the rear, giving the pilot enough situational awareness in Simulator
• In Simulator it almost never spins, allowing some really tight manoeuvres to be performed without danger
• Grey camouflage is effective on certain maps such as Frozen Pass and Advance to the Rhine

Cons:

• Turns worse than some biplanes (eg. I-15) it faces
• Has a relatively small ammo pool, firing in short bursts is very recommended
• Very poor roll rate
• No protection for the pilot
• Uses a telescopic gunsight which is extremely hard to use in Simulator
• Upper wing greatly obstructs the upward-forward view, a disadvantage in a Simulator dogfight
• Fixed gear increases drag

History

Development

The FIAT CR.32 fighter biplane was developed by the Celestino Rosatelli, an Italian aeronautic enginner, who designed various planes, such as the FIAT CR.32, FIAT CR.32 Quater, FIAT CR.32 Bis, FIAT CR.42, FIAT CR.42 CN, FIAT BR.20DR, FIAT BR.20M M1, and many more.

After the development of the FIAT CR.30, Rosatelli modified it, changing the structure around the engine, the fuselage was the same as FIAT CR.30 but without the supplementary tank, the armament constituted of 2 SAFAT 12.7 mm, and a transmitter, bomb thrower, or camera could be added. This plane was designated with serial number MM 201.

Tested at Montecelio, the FIAT CR.30 (MM 201), later named FIAT CR.32, demonstrated as a perfect fighter and was the perfect conception of Italian fighter biplanes with a balance of manoeuvrability, performance, and military efficiency.

In the mid thirties, the FIAT CR.32 was ordered by Regia Aeronautica, quickly replacing the FIAT CR.30, after which it was ordered by other nations.

The FIAT CR.32 was used by Italy, China, Spain, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Venezuela and Paraguay.

After the FIAT CR.32, other variants were created:

• CR.32 Bis

• CR.32 ter

• CR.32 Quater

• CR.32 Quater CN
• CR.32 Quater AS

Italy

When the Second World War broke out, the FIAT CR.32 was already obsolete (and eventually replaced by the FIAT CR.42) but, in spite of that, it still equipped several fighter units.

By 10 June 1940 the FIAT CR.32 was equipped for the following Gruppi Caccia (Fighters Groups): 24°Gruppo (52°Stormo) at Sarzana, 2°Gruppo at Grottaglie, 157°Gruppo (1°Stormo) at Trapani, 9°Gruppo at Monserrato, 160° at Tirana, 13°Gruppo (Partly) at Castelbenito (Libya), 8°Gruppo at Tobruk, 10°Gruppo at Benina and 163° Squadron at Rhodes.

The first FIAT CR.32 to have been involved in military operations were those stationed in Libya, forty-odd machines being used mostly in ground attack missions together with the 50°Stormo's Breda 65's.

The other front where the machine was used to the last example was Eastern Africa, fighting highly superior machines, such as Blenheims and Hurricanes.

The old biplane closely followed the alternate phases of the campaign, from Italian advance into Egypt to the loss of Cyrenaica, they were widely used fairly successfully with various bomb types until January 1941.

After the conquest of Crete in May 1941, FIAT CR.32s were relegated to fighting training duties.

Aerobatic Teams

The FIAT CR.32 with these characteristics was used by Aerobatic Teams from 1936 to 1939 in various aeronautic events.

The 4°Stormo was first in exhibiting in 1936 in Rome with a ten-machine patrol. 1936 also marked the rebirth of 6°Stormo Caccia, equipped with FIAT CR.32s, which soon established an aerobatic patrol of its own at its bases at Campoformido and Gorizia.

From 1937 to 1939 the Aerobatic Teams did aeronautic events in Budapest, Zurich, Perù, Chile, Argentine, Brazil, and finally Berlin.

Spanish Civil War

The FIAT CR.32 had its baptism of fire in the Spanish skies, the first twelve machines arrived by steamer at Melilla, Morocco, on 14 August 1936 and, together with the nine SIAI SM.81 arrived on 28 July, were incorporated into l'Aviacion de el Tercio. At the end of August, after further batches of FIAT CR.32's had arrived, the "Cucaracha" squadron was established at Cacéres, late to became the XVI Gruppo Caccia.

In April 1937, the XVI Gruppo were joined by XXIII Gruppo "Asso di Bastoni" and VI Gruppo "Gamba di Ferro", after FIAT CR.32 was used by X Gruppo Caccia "Baleari" and the Squadron "Frecce".

Thanks to the FIAT CR.32, the Legion's fighters quickly established supremacy over the red air forces, but in November a new fighter, the Polikarpov I-15, appeared and the battles with FIAT CR.32 were harder to win. After came the I-16, much faster than the FIAT CR.32, and the pilots of FIAT CR.32 were unable to fully exploit all the capabilities of their mounts and to follow the dog-fighting manoeuvres imposed by the nimbler FIAT biplane.

Media

The Shooting Range #45 - Pages of History section at 04:08 discusses the CR.32.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.

Fiat Aviation (Fiat Aviazione)
Fighters	CR.32 · CR.32 bis · CR.32 quater
	CR.42 · Marcolin's C.R.42 CN · ▀Marcolin's C.R.42 CN
	G.50 serie 2 · G.50 AS serie 7
	G.55 sottoserie 0 · G.55 serie 1 · G.55S
	G.56
Jet fighters	G.91 pre-serie · G.91 R/1 · G.91 Y · G.91 YS
	▄F-86K*
	▄F-104G* · F-104S* · F-104S.ASA* · ▄F-104S TAF*
Strike aircraft	F.C.20 Bis
Bombers	B.R.20DR · B.R.20M M1
Export/Captured	J11 · ▀CR.42
	▀G.50 serie 2 · ▀G.50 AS serie 7
	◄G.91 R/3 · ◄G.91 R/4 · G.91 R/4
	*Licensed
See also	North American Aviation · Lockheed Martin