CR.20

The CR.20 was an Italian biplane fighter designed in the early 1920s by the engineer Celestino Rosatelli at the aeronautical firm Aeronautica Macchi. First flown in 1923, it entered service with the Regia Aeronautica in 1925 and quickly became the backbone of Italy’s front‑line fighter units during the interwar period. Powered by a 450‑horsepower V‑12 Isotta Fraschini engine, the aircraft could reach 250 km/h (155 mph) and had a service ceiling of 7,500 meters. Its wooden fuselage and fabric‑covered wings were built around a sturdy steel tube frame, giving the machine both light weight and structural resilience. Armament consisted of two synchronized 7.7 mm Vickers machine guns firing through the propeller arc, a standard arrangement that provided effective firepower for its time. The CR.20’s clean lines, agile handling, and reliable performance made it a popular trainer for aspiring pilots after it was withdrawn from combat duties in the early 1930s. Although soon eclipsed by more advanced monoplanes, the CR.20 demonstrated the viability of modern fighter design in Italy and helped cement Rosatelli’s reputation as a leading aircraft designer of the era.

Celestino Rosatelli

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification