Cr.42 with gunpods?

[Hardlydank]

Wikipedia and many other sources refer to Cr.42 fighter-bombers being fitted with 2 wing mounted .50cal gunpods. Does anyone have pictures of this configuration?

 

[Crimea_River]

This profile, taken from Pinterest, appears in the Profile Publications #16 on the Cr. 42. It shows the pods on the lower wing underside wing roots.

This is the photo of that aircraft in the in the same publication. Hard to see but I think you can just make out the muzzles. This is a night fighter aircraft.

I could find no other pictures in any of my references and am not sure if this is what Wiki is referring to . Hope this helps.

 

[Hardlydank]

Thanks
I didn't know the nightfighters had them too. The Cr.42 is fascinating to me

 

[SuperAereo]

Those are not gun pods but searchlights. They were installed under the wings of some Cr.42/CN's (Caccia Notturna).

Personally I have never read of any gunpods used on Cr. 42's, and I have extensively read about WW2 aviation for more than forty years.

 

[Crimea_River]

On the profile I posted, there are search lights AND gun pods:

 

[Hardlydank]

The searchlights are really cool imo since i've never seen something like that on a nightfighter before and I really wish a picture existed of them turned on

 

[Graeme]

According to Piero Vergnano (The Fiat Fighters -1969) no such gun mounting position was ever fitted?

 

[Hardlydank]

hmm

 

[Graeme]

A closer look...

 

[Hardlydank]

Wait so is that an air intake under the wing root? Also do u know which variant that is?

 

[Elmas]

When Ing. Felice Trojani presented to the Regia Aeronautica tecnical staff the design of AUT-18 the Chief of staff, Gen. Cebrelli, protested: "We tested two MG under the wings of a CR and shooting was impossible, his wings proved not stiff enough." But Sir" was Ing. Trojani reply "the CR wing is probably a dozen centimeters high, my airplane wing is 37 cm high..."
Felice Trojani, La coda di Minosse, Ed. Mursia.
So I doubt that CR-42 has ever had underwing guns.

 

[Hardlydank]

If this is the case, this leaves the question of what is actually on the picture that Crimea_River posted

Could it be this from the photo that Graeme posted?

 

[Elmas]

CR prototype. Could be air intake for the propeller of the electric generator.
But I have to control, unfortunately I can't now.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Since it's a night fighter, perhaps a flame dampener? I cannot tell if its connected to it.

 

[Hardlydank]

Maybe. However, most flame dampeners on the CR.42 nightfighter looked like

 

[SuperAereo]

View attachment 575005
CR prototype. Could be air intake for the propeller of the electric generator.
But I have to control, unfortunately I can't now.

That is just the oil radiator air intake

 

[Graeme]

Some artistic license by John Batchelor, who is normally very good, but seems to have turned this complicated area - into an elephant's trunk...