Sweden (1941)
Fighter – 60 Aircraft
To protect their airspace as the Second World war ravaged Europe, Sweden wanted to acquire more modern fighters. Initially, they purchased American fighters, but the few they could order were insufficient and would be soon out of date. Luckily for Sweden, Italy was in short supply of vital metal ore, so it was that the Swedish Air Force managed to acquire 60 Re.2000 fighters. These were immediately put to service and proved to be the best fighters that Sweden had in its inventory during the war.
History
As the war in Europe broke out in 1939, Sweden tried to use its geopolitical and geographic position to remain neutral. Despite its neutral position, it still needed to acquire weapons and other pieces of military equipment to protect its border in case of any potential attack. Just as the war in Europe started, Sweden’s military officials purchased 120 P-35 Seversky fighters from the US to strengthen its air force. The first contingent of 60 aircraft reached Sweden in early 1940. The second group never reached Sweden, as the US Government canceled this agreement.
The Swedish Armed Forces, not wanting to be left defenseless against an enemy air force, instead approached the Italians. Luckily for them, the Italians had developed and produced the Re.2000 which was essentially an improved copy of the US P-35. The Swedish government requested the purchase of 60 aircraft of this type. The official agreement was signed on the 28th of November 1940. As payment, Sweden agreed to give the Italians vital ore resources such as chrome and nickel.
Re.2000 Brief Development History
In 1938, the development of the Re.2000 by Reggiane began at the request of the Italian Aviation Ministry. The Italian Air Force at that time wanted to introduce more modern, low-wing fighters. By then, several different fighter designs were in various states of development. Reggiane formed a team of engineers with the aim of creating such a fighter, led by the Technical Director Antonio Alessio, and Engineer Roberto Longhi. Due to a lack of time to design an aircraft from the ground up, a solution was made to utilize some elements of the design of the US Seversky P-35. The main reason why the Re.2000 was influenced by this US design was Roberto Longhi. He had spent some time working in the aviation industry in America before returning to Italy in 1936. While the two planes look very similar, there were some differences, like the cockpit, and landing gear. Due to the lack of interest of the Italian Air Force Officials, fewer than 170 aircraft of this type would be produced. Most were exported, and only small quantities of this fighter were ever operated by the Italian Air Force.
In Swedish service
The first Re.2000 reached Sweden in 1941. It was disassembled and then transported by rail through Germany and finally to Sweden. Once there, it was transported to the Swedish Air Force central workshop at Malment to be reassembled, after which the first trial and evaluation flights were carried out in September 1941. Once all 60 arrived, these were allocated to the F 10 Kung. Skanska Flyglottiljen (Eng. Fighter wing) unit. Their primary base of operation was the airfields at Bulltofta and Rinkaby. In Swedish Service, the Re.2000s were renamed to J20. The ‘J’ stands for Jacktplan, meaning a fighter. These received serial numbers from 2301 to 2360. The last two digits of these numbers were painted (in white color) on the aircraft tails and engine.
In general, the overall flight performance of the J20 was deemed sufficient. Its greatest downside was its poor mechanical reliability, and the difficulty in maintaining its engine. The Italians never tested the Re.2000’s performance in a cold climate, as it was intended for service in the Mediterranean. Because of this, the Swedish maintenance crews had to find out the hard way that the aircraft was simply not suited for the cold climate in the North. Trouble starting the engine in cold weather would prove a common, and frustrating exercise.
The J20 mainly saw service in the role of the interceptor. Their job was to intercept any aircraft that came near Sweden’s airspace. These were in the majority of cases, damaged Allied aircraft that were returning from bombing raids in Germany. On rare occasions, some German aircraft would lose their way and be intercepted by the J20. The interception operations were not intended to engage incoming aircraft but to simply escort them to the Bulltofta airfield, where the plane and its crew would be interred.
During the war, some 16 J20s were lost in various accidents but only one was shot down in combat. During a routine patrol on the 3rd of April 1945, a J20 piloted by Erik Nordlund spotted a German Do 24 aircraft that was flying near Nahobukten. As the J20 approached the German plane it was hit by 2 cm cannon rounds. While the pilot disengaged and tried to fly back, the engine exploded in midair, destroying the aircraft and killing the pilot. The J20s that survived the war remained in the inventory of the Sweden Air Force up to 1955 before being finally removed from service.
Surviving aircrafts
Most were either lost or scrapped, and today, only one J20 is preserved. It is currently exhibited at the Swedish Air Force Museum at Linkoping.
Technical characteristics
The Re.2000 was designed as a low-wing, mixed-construction, single-seat fighter plane. The fuselage consisted of a round frame covered with a metal sheet held in place using flush-riveting. The Re.2000 wings had a semi-elliptical design, with five spars covered with stressed skin. The central part of the wing held two integral fuel tanks. The tail section had a metal construction with the controls covered with fabric.
The landing gear system was unusual. When it retracted, it rotated 90° (a copy from the Curtiss model) before it entered the wheel bays. For better landing handling, the landing gear was provided with hydraulic shock absorbers and pneumatic brakes. The smaller rear wheel was also retractable and could be steered.
The Re.2000 engine was the Piaggio P.XI R.C.40 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, providing 985 hp, equipped with a three-blade variable pitch propeller made by Piaggio.
The cockpit canopy opened to the rear and the pilot had a good overall view of the surroundings. For pilot protection, a 8 mm (0.3 in) thick armor plate was placed behind the seat.
The Re.2000 possessed weak offensive capabilities, as it was armed with only two Breda-Safat 12.7 mm (0.5 in) heavy machine guns. The machine guns were installed in the forward front fuselage and fired through the propeller arc. For each machine gun, 300 ammunition rounds were provided. The Re.2000 also had two small bomb bays placed in each central wing section. Each bomb bay had a payload of twenty-two 2 kg (4.4 lb) anti-personnel or incendiary bombs.
Conclusion
The J20 was the best fighter in service within the Swedish Air Force. It was noted that during its service it possessed good overall flight characteristics. There were several issues with its maintenance, but this was mainly attributed to the cold Scandinavian Climate. In conclusion, while not the best fighter of the Second World War, for the country as Sweden it was more than enough to protect its airspace.
Re.2000 Specifications |
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| Wingspans | 11 m / 36 ft | |
| Length | 8 m / 26 ft 5 in | |
| Height | 3.15 m / 10 ft 4 in | |
| Wing Area | 20.4 m² / 220 ft² | |
| Engine | One Piaggio P.XI RC.40 985 hp | |
| Empty Weight | 2,460 kg / 5,424 lbs | |
| Maximum Takeoff Weight | 3,240 kg / 7,140 lbs | |
| Climb Rate to 6 km | 6 minutes 10 seconds | |
| Maximum Speed | 515 km/h / 320 mph | |
| Cruising speed | 450 km/h / 280 mph | |
| Range | 840 km / 520 miles | |
| Maximum Service Ceiling | 11,500 m / 34,450 ft | |
| Crew | 1 pilot | |
| Armament |
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Credits:
- Written by Marko P.
- Edited by Henry H.
- Illustration by Pavel
Source:
- G. Punka (2001) Reggiane Fighters in Action, Squadron/signal publication
- D. Nešić (2008) Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Italija. Beograd.
- D. Monday (2006) The Hamlyn Concise Guide To Axis Aircraft OF World War II, Bounty Books
- M. D. Terlizzi. (2002). Reggiane Re 2000: Falco, Heja, J.20. IBN
- G. Cattaneo () The Reggiane Re.2000, Profile Publication