The Fiat BR.20 Cicogna (Stork in Italian) was the only Italian twin-engined bomber in service with the Regia Aeronautica during World War II. In 1934, the Italian Air Ministry issued specifications for a new heavy twin-engine bomber. The first BR.20 prototype took off for the first time on 10 February 1936 and was put into service in September of the same year. The first production batches had a Breda D.R type dorsal turret with two 7.7 mm machine guns. Later batches received the Breda M.1 dorsal turret with one 12.7 mm machine gun. Compared to the competing SM.79, the Fiat BR.20 had a shorter range, but a greater payload and more suitable bomb storage. Due to this, it achieved a much higher bombing accuracy than other Italian bombers. Italy tested its BR.20 Fiats in the deployment of the Aviazione Legionaria on the Frankist side in the Spanish Civil War. A total of thirteen aircraft were deployed in Spain. They took part in raids in the Battle of Elbro and the bombing of Teruel and proved themselves. Some obsolescence was already showing at the start of World War II, but Fiats still fought over southern France in 1940, as well as over the Mediterranean, Albania, Yugoslavia and Greece. As a reaction to the gradual obsolescence of the Fiat BR.20, a modernized version BR.20M was designed and put into production in 1939. BR.20 Fiats were also exported. The only Fiat purchased by Venezuela is a marginal issue, the second export was much more significant. At the end of 1937, Japan ordered a total of 82 BR.20 machines. Japan had been fighting in China since July 1937 and was in dire need of heavy bombers. From February 1938, BR.20s were used in combat. As the BR.20 operated at long range without fighter protection, they suffered quite significant losses. The Japanese also disliked the complexity and demanding maintenance. In the second half of 1939, BR.20s were gradually withdrawn for training and replaced by new Ki-21s.
The kit offers decals of one machine operating in Spain, one machine of the Italian Regia Aeronautica and one machine of the Japanese Army Air Force. The machine returned from a raid in Manchuria damaged by fire from Chinese fighters, which is also shown in the box art.
Kit Features:
- Very interesting and varied colour schemes
- The only available 1/48 scale Fiat Br.20 model
- The kit contains resin cast parts and etches
- Nationality: Japan
- Producer: Special Hobby