The CR.42 Falco was known as the pinnacle of biplane design. Developed to replace the CR.32 with a design that shared the same spirit while being more capable and modern, the aircraft was already outdated by the start of WWII but saw great success in the Spanish Civil War, even against Soviet monoplanes like the I-16. At the start of WWII, the CR.42 was used with some success in escort missions, night raids, and interception. The aircraft fared well against early Hurricanes and Spitfires thanks to its agility, but it was soon phased out with the introduction of faster, more armoured, and overall more advanced fighters.

The CR.42 was introduced in Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica" along with the initial Italian aviation tree, though an identical version existed in the German aircraft tech tree prior to the update. The CR.42 possesses exceptional manoeuvrability, speed, and durability, especially for a biplane. Its armament, two Breda-SAFAT .50 cal machine guns, is also quite good. However, due to its BR, the majority of aircraft the CR.42 will engage will be faster and more heavily armed. The best bet for survival, and getting scores, is to climb to medium altitude and lure fighters into turn fighting. An overwhelming majority of pilots are unwilling to run from a lowly biplane, allowing you to score critical damage before they realise that they have expended all their energy and must extend away from you. By then, the damage is usually severe enough that they will not be able to accelerate away quickly enough to escape further damage. As a CR.42 pilot, you depend on the enemy committing to the turn fight; if they try to run away or make the fight an energy fight, there is almost nothing you can do, so use your opportunities when you have them.