How Good Was One of Italy's Apex Fighters?

The Re.2005 Sagittario was one of Italy's apex fighters, entering service in mid-1943, during the Second World War. Yet, despite all the promise, it has remained one of the lesser-known machines of the conflict. How good was it? Could it match a Spitfire? Was it a threat to the allied powers?
Game footage and aircraft models
War Thunder - / warthunder .
Disclaimer - This channel is apolitical. We do not endorse any kind of political view.
00:01 Introduction
00:46 Qualities and Flaws
06:04 Re.2005 vs Spitfire
10:58 Conclusion and Rating
Corrections
- My description of the Re.2005 having stability issues is incorrect. Reportedly the Sagittario suffered from flutter, which isn't a stability issue for an aircraft. A definition of flutter can be: "Flutter is a self-excited oscilation that occurs when a lifting surface deflects under aerodynamic load so as to reduce the applied load. Once the load reduces, the deflection also reduces, restoring the original shape, which restores the original load and starts the cycle again."
Music
- Beautiful Oblivion by Scott Buckley ssoundcloud.comscottbuckley
Music promoted by httpswww.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
screativecommons.orglicensesby4.0
- William Tell Overture (by Rossini) | KZbin Audio Library
- Music: www.purple-planet.com
- Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492, Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492, Act I: Non più andrai (the Marriage of Figaro)
Artist
Tito Gobbi, Philharmonia Orchestra, James Robertson
Album
Puccini, G.: Tabarro (Il) (Gobbi, Mas, Prandelli) (1955)
Licensed to KZbin by
WMG (on behalf of Naxos); UMPG Publishing, Memory Lane Music (Publishing), and 1 Music Rights Societies
Sources
Written:
- Dal Re 2002 al Re 2005 - Storia degli aerei Reggiane Gruppo Caproni - Sergio Govi
- A History of the Mediterranean Air War Vol 3 and 4 - Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello
- Reggiane Re 2005 Sagittario - Maurizio Di Terlizzi
- Aircraft Profile 244 - Caproni Reggiane Re 2001 Falco II, Re 2002 Ariete & Re 2005 Sagittario - John F. Brindley
- Dimensione Cielo Vol. 3 Caccia Assalto
- Ali D'Italia Reggiane Re.2005 - Gregory Alegi
- Several other sources like aircraft manuals and tests
I do not own any of the images used in this video. The owners of such images are identified in the video itself.

[@smigoltime]

I was gonna ask if its reupload, but I see its just part 2

[@alterego2421]

yo its smigga

[@sebc8627]

hi smigol

[@mohamdmlg9027]

Would love to see more comparisons between the italian and other planes Also would love to see the Romianion planes Either way good video mate

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

I support this I'm very curious to see how the IAR 80/81 compares to other aircraft

[@lupodimontenero661]

All the 5 series fighters were excellent, but, in terms of balance between the various performances: armament, speed, rate of climb, maneuverability, the best was the G 55; the Germans wanted to produce the G 55. a big problem was both the low industrial capacity of Italy in 1943 and the fact that all these fighters required a much higher number of construction hours than the Bf 109 G. Please note, I said balance, because individually each of them had some capabilities and defects different from the others, however production Re 2005 = 32, MC 205 252; G 55 170 negligible quantities compared to the main contenders of WW II UK, USA, USSR, Germany

[@1968CudaGuy]

A beautiful aircraft for sure.. I can imagine one with upgraded engine and prop painted Ferrari red running the pylons in Reno..

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

I also look forward to a video on the Re 2002 its quire a fascinating fighter bomber the Italians seem to have made alot of solid aircraft they just lacked numbers i think

[@mikepj67]

Engine supply issues

[@davidlodge681]

The Italians as the Germans before them entered the war at least a couple of years before they were prepared. With sensible preparations they could’ve had the fuel and resource reserves to allow them to pursue war, but their leadership did not listen to their advisors, such is totalitarian. IF Italy had organised its industry it could’ve had a much better chance in the conflicts in which it participated. All aspects were disorganised and inefficient and the ‘troops’ suffered.

[@lupodimontenero661]

from italian wiki _ In February 1943, the Luftwaffe sent a mission to Italy to produce comparative tests with the brand new Italian "5 series" fighters. The German delegation compared in flight a Messerschmitt Bf-109G-4 and a Focke Wulf Fw-190A-5, the top models of the time, with the Fiat, the Reggiane 2005 and the Macchi M.C.205. Although all three Italian fighters were superior to the German ones in terms of handling and rate of climb, the Luftwaffe rated the G.55 as "excellent", the Re.2005 as "good" and the M.C.205 as "average". In February 1943, the Luftwaffe sent a mission to Italy to produce comparative tests with the brand new Italian "5 series" fighters. The German delegation compared in flight a Messerschmitt Bf-109G-4 and a Focke Wulf Fw-190A-5, the top models of the time, with the Fiat, the Reggiane 2005 and the Macchi M.C.205. Although all three Italian fighters were superior to the German ones in terms of handling and rate of climb, the Luftwaffe rated the G.55 as "excellent", the Re.2005 as "good" and the M.C.205 as "average". .... In the end, the Luftwaffe's plan to equip itself with the Centauro fell through, also due to the high number of hours/work needed to build an example of the Italian fighter, equal to three times those needed to build a Bf-109.

[@alessioschiavone3898]

and a huge mistake from the germans

[@user-ki9be5ol5c]

Thank you fort part two - yet another of your excellent comparative analyses. And, as usual, I can but guess what your next choice will be... 😊

[@itifonhom]

Great follow up video on an excellent aircraft!!

[@perrydowd9285]

A superior aircraft brought down by logistics.

[@McRocket]

Enjoyable video..and informative. And I agree with your conclusions. Thank you for the videos on this truly gorgeous fighter. ☮

[@srenlund7900]

Thank you very much for this video. I didnt know much abouy late Italians fighters. But I am going to tjeck your videos out

[@jonathanhudak2059]

Loved this, awesome combat aircraft!

[@FireDragon16180]

Very good, thank you

[@OliverSchroeder]

Thank you for another well-done comparative analysis But i have a question: How was it possible to attach a 1.000kg bomb in the centreline since the radiator of the Re. 2005 was also mounted there?

[@mohamdmlg9027]

Nice

[@luigiduca]

With the Macchi 205 in my heart and the Saggitario being strikingly beutiful and dangerous, I will have to concur with the German commisuon's assessment that the best of the trio indeed was the Fiat G55

[@banmadabon]

So beautiful!

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

Very fair assessment. Close to being an eight out of ten. To be fair, I suppose a fair few fighter aircraft faced their own unfortunate peculiarities of design.

[@ricardobeltranmonribot3182]

I would need to see the other two 5 series to have an opinion, but seeing how the british said good thing about this aircraft it could be a good contender of that title, is interesting that this aircraft was put in the category of "to little, to late" with the FW190D series (and subsecuentuly the Ta152H), the Me262, and many other late war german aircraft, only the "what if" can be use, like what if the Dora and the 262 entered in service in 1943, is something to use in a fiction novel, but the realaty was that they came to late to change the course of the war, returning to the Re 2005, it was a beatifull aircraft, something that shouldn't be a surprice since the italians knows how to make beatifull machines

[@sebastianmizzon1462]

Can I use your 2 Vdieos about the Re 2005 in my War Thunder Suggestion(re.2005 mm.495 VDM) that I made years ago?

[@AllthingsWW2]

Hello. Sure, no problem. It would be a nice addition to WT. Let me know if I can help you with anything!

[@sebastianmizzon1462]

@AllthingsWW2 Thank you very much. Could you have a look at my suggestion on the war thunder forum "Re.2005 MM.495 VDM"? Could you make a video specific on the MM.495 VDM and the Re.2006? If you need any sources for that I can sent you some. And thank you again for making videos about the Re.2005.

[@AllthingsWW2]

Do you mind sending me an email to [e-mail]? Thank you

[@smigoltime]

reupload?

[@alessioschiavone3898]

so beautiful and deadly, the italian Zero fighter but better as the Zero

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

It suffered from flutter not a stability issue.

[@AllthingsWW2]

Flutter is a stability issue: "Flutter is a dynamic instability of an elastic structure in a fluid flow, caused by positive feedback between the body's deflection and the force exerted by the fluid flow."

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@AllthingsWW2 stability means once disturb the aircraft returns to it's original flight condition. This is a standard definition across aerodynamics, in other words a stable aircraft reacts to a disturbance and then flies on as if nothing happened. It was the same definition when I graduated with my aerospace engineering degree over 30 years ago as it is today. Flutter is a self-excited structural issue, which for this aircraft only appeared in certain flight regimes. Stability issues affect all flight regimes.

[@AllthingsWW2]

​@@neiloflongbeck5705 So, this answer is two fold. After checking my Principles of Flight book, I have to admit that you're correct and that flutter is indeed an aeroelastic issue, unrelated to stability (in its aeronautical definition). I don't know if my confusion comes from the fact that flutter is brought up in the stability chapter of that book, just after Phugoids and PIO (Pilot induced oscillations), which are indeed stability problems. I guess for us pilots, they do tend to simplify stuff. I also have a degree in aeronautical sciences, which makes this mistake slightly more shameful. I disagree with your definition of stability: "stability means once disturb the aircraft returns to it's original flight condition", since this doesn't account for dynamic stability, but I guess I'm going on a tangent here. So, I'll add a correction to the video description. I hope you were still able to enjoy the video anyway. Thank you for your comment.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@AllthingsWW2 I enjoy learning about the less well know aircraft. Dynamic stability is just a description how quickly the aircraft returns to it's original flight condition, basically how quickly it dampens out any oscillation caused by a disturbance..

[@AllthingsWW2]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 And have you found what you were looking for on this channel? Or would you like to see something done differently?

[@davidlodge681]

The Re.2005 was a very good low altitude and ground attack aircraft. Altitude was a weakness as an interceptor.