BR.20 Cicogna

BR.20 Cicogna plastic model by Italeri.BR.20 Cicogna.

This aircraft first appeared in 1936 and was almost entirely built in metal. It became one of the most
famous Italian medium bombers. The planes of the first series had their debut operationally in the
Spanish Civil War with the 35th bomber Group “Le Cicogne” from which they took their name.
In the same period the Japanese government order this aircraft for operation in ChinaIn 1939 the BR.20M appeared (M for "modificato" amended) on which there where several improvements and which had a different sharped nose. The BR.20's were placed with the various units of the Italian Royal Air Force and operated on almost all war fronts. In september 1940 the BR.20M's of the 13th and 43rd Bomber Wing took part in action, mainly at night, during the Battle of Britain operating from bases in Belgium, but were soon withdrawn as the situation in the Mediterranean worsened.