| Re.2005 Sagittario | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Reggiane |
| Primary users | Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana |
| Number built | 48 [1] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | September 1942 – May 1944 |
| Introduction date | April/May 1943 |
| First flight | 9 May 1942 |
| Retired | 1945 |
| Developed from | Reggiane Re.2001 |
| Variants | Reggiane Re.2004 |
The Reggiane Re.2005 Sagittario (English: Archer, Sagittarius) was an Italian monoplane fighter and fighter-bomber produced for the Regia Aeronautica during the later years of World War II. Along with the Macchi C.202/C.205 and Fiat G.55, the Reggiane Re.2005 was one of the three Serie 5 Italian fighters. The lines of the fuselage were aerodynamically efficient, and the design was intended to exploit the famous Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine.[2] The only drawback was a certain structural weakness in the rear section of the fuselage.[2] Only 48 examples had been delivered before the Armistice, and these fighters took part in the defence of Naples, Rome and Sicily, with the survivors battling above the crumbling ruins of Berlin, in German insignia.[3] British ace and military observer, Group Captain Duncan Smith, DSO DFC, said that "The Re.2005 was altogether a superb, potent aeroplane".[4]