The aircraft was salvaged following a forced landing at Orfordness, Suffolk, on November 11, 1940. It was used by the Air Fighting Development Unit until autumn 1942 when it went into storage. Now part of the RAF Museum collection. Photo from: Imperial War Museums

ex Swedish AF "2539" and "SE-AOP" now displayed as MM5643.

Ex Italian AF MM5701. Displayed at RAF Museum Hendon since October 1978.

Ex Swedish AF 2542. Arrived at Duxford from Italy in February 2006 for the continuation of a rebuild to flying condition.

Ex Italian Air Force MM5701 of 18º Gruppo Caccia Terrestre / 95ª Squadriglia, which made a forced landing near Orford Ness on the English east coast on 11 Nov 1940 during a bombing mission out of Belgium. It was salvaged and two weeks later it was allocated RAF serial BT474. In Apr 1941 it was transferred to the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford, where it was test flown for about a year. After years of storage at various locations, it was eventually restored in the mid 1960s, and it is seen here displayed at the 1969 RAF Chivenor Open Day. Restored in its original Italian markings in 1974 and allocated RAF maintenance serial 8468M in 1976, it eventually ended up with the RAF Museum Hendon.

One of the very best biplane (actually sesquiplane) fighters ever, the C.R.42 had to compete in the new monoplane era of WW2. The museum's example is a composite airframe and partly a replica, built using 60% original parts from at least four Swedish aircraft and some other sources. Painted as 'MM5643' it represents a Rhodes-based Falco of the 162a Squadriglia.

To the RAF Museum Hendon in 1978.

A long term stunning restoration.

The Falco was quite possibly the most capable biplane fighter ever produced: the problem was that it was up against Spitfires and Hurricanes, rather than other biplane types. National pride and Mussolini's bluster led a force being sent to take part in the Battle of Britain. On 11th Nov. 1940 this Falco suffered a broken oil pipe and was forced to land on a beach in Suffolk. She was repaired, evaluated by the RAF as BT474, then allocated RAF maintenance serial 8468M and placed into storage before ending up on display at the RAF Museum during 1978.

Compare this with MM5701, preserved in the RAF Museum. This was one of 72 aircraft supplied to the Swedish Airforce. It crashed in Northern Sweden killing the pilot. The wreckage was recovered in 1983 and acquired by the Fighter Collection in 1995. A painstaking restoration is taking place to return it to the air when it will surely be an incredible sight.

About 1800 of these aircraft were built, the last of the biplane fighters. They were very strong and manouverable. Ex RAF BT474 and also allocated RAF maintenance serial 8468M (which many mistakenly think to be its cn).