Fiat CR.42 LW
WW II Night Harrassment Aircraft

Italeri, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Glen Porter

Italeri's 1/72 scale Fiat CR.42 LW will be available online from Squadron.com

This is the third CR.42 that Italeri have offered in this scale so I will not go into detail of the history, and will focus on the differences . Here are links to my reviews of the first two kits.

• The original kit no. 1260. http://kits.kitreview.com/italeri1260reviewgp_1.htm

• The second (AS) kit no. 1263. http://kits.kitreview.com/italeri1260reviewgp_1.htm

The basic parts are essentially the same as the original but with a small frame added to the left hand side of sprue “A”. This contains the longer flame dampened exhausts and half spatted undercarriage. This kit does not include the bare undercarriage leg option, the ski undercarriage, bombs or bomb mounts.

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Thumbnail panels:

Like the second in the series, the AS, this one does not come with the excellent reference book included with the first release but the sprues are in plastic bags, which is good to see. The single clear windscreen is also in its own plastic bag.

The title on the box front says CR.42 LW (standing for Luftwaffe, as the three aircraft covered in the decal markings are all German CR.42s operating in Italy). However, it is not explained in the instructions along with the information that these night fighter were known as CR.42 CNs (Caccia Notturna) with special flame dampened exhausts and illuminated instruments. 

These aircraft did not usually operate as night fighters, but flew a variety of older aircraft including later marks of the Ju-87. Their primary mission was ground attack (Schlact) although they are referred to as ‘harassment’ units primarily because their missions were not designed to attack specific ground targets, rather they were to cause Allied soldiers distress and uncertainty by ‘pinprick’ attacks of more psychological than physical damage. These were also small units of Gruppe strength rather than the more usual Geschwader establishment.*

The decals by Zanchetti Buccinasco from Milan are as we have come to expect from Italeri, well printed and with a matt finish.

Aircraft markings are as follows:

• Version “A” from 2/ Nactschlachtgruppe 9, Turin (Italy), April 1944, coded E8+JK in Dark Green (?), Italian Dark Brown and RLM 75 upper surfaces and RLM 76 below. The underside of the upper and lower wings, tail but not the fuselage, have a fine mottle of RLM 75/74 and the sides of the fuselage, with a rather high demarcation for an Italian aircraft, has rough squiggly lines of RLM 74.

• “B”, from the same Night Fighter Gruppe at the same time coded E8+FK has the same colours but without the squiggly lines on the lower fuselage.

• “C”, 1st staffel of the same unit, at Fabrica di Roma (Italy), March 1944 and in the same colours as “B”, coded E8+AH but with a lower demarcation between uppers and lowers. All three have the sand filter and a half spatted undercarriage with most of the wheels exposed.  

If you're looking for a 1/72 scale Fiat CR.42, this is the one to get bar none. I just hope Italeri will consider a Fiat G.50 and Aermacchi C.200 with the same level of accuracy and detail as these.

Highly Recommended

Thanks to Italeri for the review sample