Reggiane Re.2000
Features:
Maximum weight: 3450 kg
Wingspan: 11 m
Length: 7.99m
Engine: Piaggio P.IX RC 40 radial 1000 horsepower
Armament: two 12.7 mm Breda SAFAT MG machine guns and any rockets
Maximum speed: 529 Km / h at 5300 m of altitude
Autonomy: 2000 Km ("Great Autonomy" model)
The Reggiane Re.2000 was born from design ideas advanced for the time and of an American "mold" (the program manager, Ing. Longhi, had valuable experiences overseas).
The first results on the prototypes, in 1939, were unexpected: the Re.2000 proved superior to the Italian G.50 and Mc.200 and even to the powerful German Bf109E; the only problem, even if decisive, was the not too efficient engine. Subsequent choices by the command relegated the King 2000 to an unfair fate of continuous experimentation without really entering service. Only in 1941 was an always insufficient operational flight group set up and production was reduced to a few specimens, preferring the production of qualitatively inferior models.
Two versions of the Re.2000 were also made: the GA (Great Autonomy), which proved to be exceptional, and the CAT (catalytic), which was used to start the aircraft from mast ships.