Showing posts with label Fiat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fiat. Show all posts

Friday, March 11, 2011

Fiat G.91

G.91
A Fiat G.91 at the Luftwaffe Museum in Gatow
Role Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer Fiat Aviazione
Aeritalia
Designed by Giuseppe Gabrielli
First flight 9 August 1956
Introduced 1958
Retired 1995
Status Several in museums
Primary users Italian Air Force
Luftwaffe
Portuguese Air Force
Number built 770
The Fiat G.91 was an Italian jet fighter aircraft. It was the winner of the NATO competition in 1953 as standard equipment for Allied air forces. It entered in operational service with the Italian Air Force in 1961, with West Germany's Luftwaffe, in 1962,[1] and later with the Portuguese Air Force. It was in production for 19 years. 756 aircraft were completed, including the prototypes and pre-production models. The assembly lines were finally closed in 1977.[1] The Fiat G.91 enjoyed a long service life that extended over 35 years. It was widely used by Portugal in the Portuguese Colonial War in Africa. A twin engined variant was known as the Fiat/Aeritalia G.91Y.

Contents

  • 1 Design and development
    • 1.1 Production
  • 2 Operational history
    • 2.1 Italian service
    • 2.2 German service
    • 2.3 Portuguese service
  • 3 Variants
    • 3.1 G.91Y
  • 4 Operators
  • 5 Aircraft on display
  • 6 Specifications (G.91R)

Design and development

In December 1953, NATO Supreme Command, issued specifications for a new light tactical support aircraft.[2] European manufacturers were invited to submit their designs for this requested Light Weight Strike Fighter (LWSF) role. The G.91 was designed to this specification by the Italian engineer Giuseppe Gabrielli, hence the "G" designation. The competition was intended to produce an aircraft that was light, small, expendable, equipped with basic weapons and avionics and capable of operating with minimal ground support. These specifications were developed for two reasons: the first was the nuclear threat to large air bases, many cheaper aircraft could be better dispersed, and the other was to counter the trend towards larger and more expensive aircraft.
The technical requirements were:
  • 1,100 m (3,610 ft) takeoff distance over a 15 m (49 ft) obstacle
  • Capability to operate from grass strips and streets
  • Maximum speed of Mach 0.95
  • Range of 280 km (170 mi) with 10 minutes over the target
  • Armoured protection for the pilot and the fuel tanks
  • 4 × 12.7 mm (.5 in) or 2 × 20 mm or 30 mm guns
  • A maximum of 2,200 kg (4,850 lb) empty weight and 4,700 kg (10,360 lb) max weight[3]
The challenge of providing an engine that matched the requirements of lightness and power, reliability and ease of maintenance was solved by using the Bristol Siddeley Orpheus turbojet.
The designs were required within two months of the competition. The special committee had to choose from eight projects. Besides the G.91, these included the Northrop N-156, Dassault Mystère XXVI (future Dassault Étendard IV), Sud-Est Baroudeur, Aerfer Sagittario II and the Breguet Taon Br.1001.[2] These designs were assessed starting on 18 March 1953 by AGARD (Advisory Group for Aeronautical Research and Development) under the leadership of Von Karman.
A preserved example of the G.91 in Frecce Tricolori's colors
Project selections took 18 months to complete. The first result was announced on 30 June 1955: the winning projects were, in order: the Breguet Br. 1001 Taon and the Fiat G.91. A third was added to these two aircraft: the Mystère XXVI, and three prototypes of this design were also ordered.[2] The G.91 first flew on 9 August 1956 at the Caselle airfield, Turin, in the hands of Chief Test Pilot Riccardo Bignamini,[4] with a seven-month lead over the Dassault prototype and almost a year ahead of the Breguet Taon.[5]
The intensive series of tests that followed the maiden flight was not without its setbacks. The most serious problem was the elimination of aeroelastic vibrations which, on 20 February 1957, led to the destruction of the first G.91 prototype. The re-engineering work to cure the problem was very extensive and resulted in the second prototype being fitted with a larger tail, a 6 cm (2 in) higher canopy, a ventral fin and some other modifications. This aircraft flew in July 1957, but it was not sent to the final evaluation.[6] The third and fourth G.91 prototypes were sent to France, for the competition.[4]
The final selection of the competing designs was planned for late 1957.[2] In September 1957, at the Centre d'Essais en Vol at Bretigny-sur-Orge, in France, the three rival aircraft types met for evaluation trials. During the trials the Italian aircraft performed impressively and, in January 1958, the Fiat G.91 was officially declared the winner.[4][5]
Following a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in April 1958 it was agreed that the G91 would be the first NATO lightweight strike fighter, it would be followed in 1961 by the Breguet Taon.[7] A production meeting was planned for May 1958 to discuss the production of the aircraft with financial support from the United States, the Americans would provide some of the finance for the French, German and Italian aircraft and pay for the Turkish aircraft.[7] The defence ministers reached agreement to order 50 aircraft for each country.[7]
Given the large economic and commercial interests at stake, there was a certain amount of controversy surrounding this decision.[5] After the loss of the G.91 prototype, the French government preferred to pursue development of the locally-designed Étendard.[8] The British government similarly ignored the competition to concentrate on Hawker Hunter production for the same role. In fairness, it should also be pointed out that the Italian government also ordered the G.91 for the Italian Air Force before the results of the competition were known. These pre-production machines would later go on to serve for many years with the Italian aerobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori as the G.91 PAN.[9] The type was also considered by Austria, Norway, Switzerland, and even the United States Army, which briefly evaluated the type as a possible Forward Air Control (FAC) aircraft before relinquishing all fixed-wing aircraft operations to the USAF.

Production

Cockpit of a G-91 R1 in Malignani school (Udine).
Aeritalia built 174 G.91s for Italy, plus 144 R/3 variants for West Germany (including 50 that had been ordered and then cancelled by Greece and Turkey). The German order involved a production run of 294 G.91s built in Germany by Flugzeug-Union Süd (a consortium of former competitors Messerschmitt, Heinkel and Dornier). These were the first combat aircraft built in Germany since World War II. The first order was for 50 machines from Aeritalia, then Dornier and other German firms had an order for 232 machines, later increased to 294. The Luftwaffe also bought 44 G-91T/3 two-seat trainers and another 22 were produced in Germany, ending production in 1972.
The Luftwaffe had intended to equip a further four wings with the G.91R/3 but initial operating experience with the type left the Luftwaffe disappointed with the aircraft's performance and further orders were cut. Some Luftwaffe G.91s were emblazoned with "pig" emblems as a comment on the aircraft's lacklustre performance.[10]

Operational history

Italian service

G-91 R1 in Malignani school (UDINE)
The first G.91s entered service with the Italian Air Force in August 1958, with 103mo Gruppo, 5a Aerobrigata, called "Caccia Tattici Leggeri (CTL)", based at Pratica di Mare Air Force Base, the same with Reparto Sperimentale di Volo. The next operational unit was 14mo Gruppo, Seconda Aerobrigata in 1961. This unit had its role shifted to tactical support, because its groups were 14mo, 103mo (dispatched from 5 A/B to this Aerobrigade) and 13mo (only in reserve). All of them were based at Treviso-Sant'Angelo.
The last G.91 was phased out and retired by Italy in 1995.

German service

Forty-five G.91 T/3 Fiat built two-seat trainer aircraft were ordered for the Luftwaffe, the first 35 being allocated to Waffenschule 50 (Weapon School 50) with the balance of the order divided between operational units.[11] 22 aircraft were built by Dornier between 1971 and 1973, these aircraft were used to train Weapons Systems Officers for the F-4 Phantom.[12][13]
Five Fiat built G.91R/3 aircraft were delivered to Erprobungstelle 61 for trials with subsequent deliveries being allocated to Aufklarungsgeschwader 53 based at Erding, near Munich along with Waffenschule 50. The first Dornier-built example of this variant was flight tested on 20 July 1961. The G.91R/3 equipped four newly formed Leichten Kampfgeschwadern (light attack wings), often replacing former F-84 Thunderstreak units.[14]
Fifty G.91 R/4 aircraft were taken up from a cancelled Greek/Turkish order but being unsuitable for operational use were used as training aircraft and were operated solely by Waffenschule 50. When the initial training programme was completed the R4 was retired in 1966, 40 surviving airframes were sold to Portugal. Other R/4 aircraft remained in Germany and were transferred to ground instructional use or displayed at recruitment presentations.[15]
On 1 January 1970 the Luftwaffe fleet consisted of 310 G.91 R/3 and 40 G.91T aircraft, and by 1976 only 20 of the R/3s had been lost to accidents, a loss rate of 6%.[14] The G.91 R/3 was to be replaced in the early 1980s by the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet which operated in the same role,[16] with the last G.91s being retired in 1982.[17]

Portuguese service

From 1961, Portugal became involved in fighting against nationalist movements in its African overseas territories, the series of conflicts becoming known as the Portuguese Colonial War.[18] Portugal had deployed a detachment of F-86 Sabres to Portuguese Guinea in August 1961, prior to the outbreak of major fighting, but was forced to withdraw the jet fighters back to Europe owing to pressure from the United States and the United Nations, who imposed an arms embargo.[19] This left a gap in air cover for Portugal's African colonies, both in the close air support role, and in the air defence role.
In 1965, as the scale of fighting increased, Portugal attempted to purchase 100 surplus Canadian built Sabre Mk 6s from West Germany, but instead, it was offered 40 G.91R/4s,[19] which had originally been built for Greece and Turkey and which differed from the rest of the Luftwaffe G.91s sufficiently to create maintenance problems in exchange for allowing Germany to build and use an airbase at Beja in Portugal for training.[18][20]
G.91s arrived in Portuguese Guinea in 1966, equipping Esquadra 121 Tigres based at Bissau, and being used for reconnaissance and close support with rockets, napalm and bombs against PAIGC rebels.[21] When the PAIGC started to be supplied with Soviet-made Strela 2 (NATO designation SA-7 Grail) MANPADS in early 1973, these immediately became a threat to Portuguese air superiority. On 25 March 1973, and 28 March, two FAP G.91s were shot down by missiles within three days, with a further two lost to conventional ground fire later in the year.[22] (By comparison, only two G.91s had been lost in Guinea from 1966 to 1973.[23]) A final G.91 was lost to a missile on 31 January 1974, while Strelas were also responsible for the loss of a T-6 Texan and two Do.27K-2s.[22][24]
Portuguese Air Force G-91 preserved at Sintra Air Base
G.91s deployed to Mozambique at the end of 1968, equipping Esquadra 502 Jaguares ininitally at Beira, later moving to Nacala, with a second squadron Esquadra 702 Escorpiões (Scorpions) forming in September 1970 at Tete, flying against FRELIMO forces.[25] Fremilo also received Strelas in 1973, although unlike elsewhere, the Portuguese in Mozambique did not lose any aircraft to missiles with Chinese support, even if it forced Portuguese pilots to change their tactics.[26] The only G.91 destroyed in combat in Mozambique was the serial number 5429, flown by Lt. Emilio Lourenco: his plane was destroyed and Lourenco killed by a premature detonation of its bombs while flying a strike against rebel positions on 15 March 1973.[27]
In 1973, with the United Nations weapons embargo against Portugal, the Air Force faced problems purchasing further numbers of close air support aircraft. An attempt was then made to acquire more Fiat G.91s from Germany by having Dornier disassembling the aircraft and then selling them as spare parts to Switzerland and Spain. These spare parts would be later sold to Portugal and assembled locally with different serial numbers. However, the deal did not follow through as the German government vetoed it.[citation needed]
In April 1974, the Portuguese government fell in the Carnation Revolution, with the new government seeking to grant its colonies independence. Portugal withdrew its G.91s from Guinea when it was granted independence in 1974, with its forces also leaving Mozambique. One of the G.91 squadrons was briefly deployed to Angola in late 1974, in order to try and prevent fighting between rival FNLA and UNITA forces, being finally withdrawn back to Portugal in January 1975.[28]
In 1976, a second purchase of 14 G.91 R/3s and 7 G.91 T/3 trainers was made from Germany,[29] which were followed by further aircraft when the G.91 was withdrawn from Luftwaffe service in from 1980 to 1982, giving a total of 70 R/3s and 26 T/3s, although not all of these entered service, with many being broken up for spare parts. Portugal finally phased out the last of its G.91s in 1993.[20]

Variants

An Italian trainer Fiat G.91T of the 60° Stormo (60th Wing) is parked on the flight line while transiting Bitburg Air Base in 1988.
Trainer and reconnaissance variants were produced right from the start of G.91 production, but the basic design of the aircraft remained virtually unchanged throughout almost the entire production run of the aircraft. The one major difference is that the R series aircraft were single-seaters, while the T series aircraft had two seats. To accommodate the extra seat, the T series aircraft had a slightly longer fuselage.
  • G.91 - Prototypes and pre-production aircraft.
  • G.91R/1 - Light attack/reconnaissance aircraft, fitted with modified nose housing three cameras.[30]
  • G.91R/1A - Revised instrumentation.[30]
  • G.91R/1B - Strengthened airframe.[30]
  • G.91R/3 - Single-seat ground-attack, reconnaissance version for the Luftwaffe. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Orpheus turbojet engine. Armed with two 30 mm DEFA cannons.
  • G.91R/4 - Similar to the G.91R/3, but armed with four 12.7 mm (0.5 in) Colt-Browning machine guns. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Orpheus turbojet engine.
  • G.91T/1 - Trainer version of G.91R/1 for Italian Air Force.
  • G.91T/3 - Trainer version for Luftwaffe.
  • G.91PAN - Aerobatic display aircraft for Frecce Tricolori, converted from pre-production G.91s.

G.91Y

An additional 67 aircraft built by Aeritalia were significantly uprated from earlier versions. These single-seat aircraft, designated G.91Y and nicknamed "Yankee", replaced the original Bristol Siddeley Orpheus engine with two General Electric J85 units.[31] The G.91Y first flew on 12 December 1966 and displayed an improvement in speed, range, payload, and manoeuvrability.[32] The maximum speed was increased to 1,110 km/h (690 mph, 600 kn, Mach 0.91). The machine guns were replaced by a pair of DEFA 552 30 mm cannon with 125 rounds per gun. All the aircraft built served with the Italian Air Force.

Operators

Operators of the G.91 in dark blue, cancelled orders in light blue, evaluations in yellow.
 Germany
 Greece
 Italy
 Portugal
 United States

Aircraft on display

There are numerous examples preserved in museums around the world.

Specifications (G.91R)

Orthographically projected diagram of the Aeritalia G-91Y twin-engined variant
A Matra Type 116M rocket launcher mounted on a Fiat G.91, on display at the Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr, Berlin.
General characteristics
Performance
Armament

Fiat G.55

G.55 Centauro
The second prototype G.55, MM 492, in Regia Aeronautica markings
Role Fighter
National origin Italy
Manufacturer Fiat
Designed by Giuseppe Gabrielli
First flight 30 April 1942
Introduced 1943
Status Retired
Primary users Regia Aeronautica
Argentine Air Force
Royal Egyptian Air Force
Produced 274 (wartime), 75 (postwar)[1]
Unit cost L. 535.000 (L. 1.284.000 for planned 2.400 aircraft) (Nino Arena, FIAT G 55 "Centauro, Modena Edizioni Stem Mucchi, 1994)
The Fiat G.55 Centauro (Italian: "Centaur") was a single-engine single-seat World War II fighter aircraft used by the Regia Aeronautica and the A.N.R. (Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana) in 1943-1945. It was designed and built in Turin by Fiat. The Fiat G.55 was,[2] probably the best type produced in Italy during World War II, but it did not enter production until 1943.[3] During its short operational service, mostly under the Repubblica Sociale Italiana insignia, after the 8 September 1943, this powerful, robust and fast aircraft proved itself to be an excellent interceptor at high altitude.[4] In 1944, over Northern Italy, the Centauro clashed with British Supermarine Spitfire, P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt and P-38 Lightning. Italian fighter pilots liked their Centauro but by the time the war ended, only less than 300 had been built.[2]

Contents

  • 1 Design and development
  • 2 Operational history
    • 2.1 ANR service
    • 2.2 German interest
    • 2.3 Torpedo fighter
    • 2.4 Fiat G.56
    • 2.5 After World War II
    • 2.6 G.59
  • 3 Variants
  • 4 Operators
  • 5 Specifications (G.55/I)

Design and development

By 1939, all the main Italian aircraft factories had begun designing a new series of fighter, with inline engines as opposed to the radial engines that powered the Italian fighters in early World War II. This process brought to the first generation of Italian fighters equipped with the Italian-built copy of the Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, the so-called Serie 1/2, whose most prominent representative was the Macchi C.202 Folgore. However, the process didn't stop, and already in 1941, designers shifted their attention on the new Daimler-Benz DB 605. Fiat designer Giuseppe Gabrielli, while experimenting a new version of his Fiat G.50 fighter, equipped with the DB 601, started a new design that was to be powered by the Daimler-Benz DB 605.
The first G.55 prototype flew on 30 April 1942,[5] piloted by commander Valentino Cus, immediately showing its good performance and flight characteristics. It was armed with one 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, installed in the hub with 200 rounds, and four 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns, two in the upper engine cowling and two in the lower part, with 300 rpg, in "Sottoserie O" airframes. This layout soon proved to be troublesome, both for rearming and for the servicing of the lower cowling mounted machine guns: for this reason, the two lower machine guns were removed, and replaced with a 20 mm MG 151/20 in each wing, in the later production series, the Serie 1.
The prototype flew to Guidonia, where it was put into trials against the other fighters of the so-called Serie 5 Macchi C.205V Veltro and the formidable Reggiane Re.2005 Sagittario, all of them built around the powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. The trials showed that the Centauro was the 2nd best performer overall, and it won the tender set by the Regia Aeronautica. The C.205V was good at low and medium altitudes, fast and with good diving characteristics but its performance dropped considerably over 8,000 m (26,250 ft), particularly in handling. The Re.2005 was the fastest at high altitudes and best in dogfights, but suffered from a vibration which turned out to be a balance problem, this was corrected, but was still the most time consuming and technically advanced of the three to produce. The G.55 was chosen for mass production. The G.55 prototype reached 620 km/h (390 mph) full loaded without WEP (war emergency power), at 7,000 m (22,970 ft), a little less than expected, but had a strong airframe and was the best one regarding handling and stability at every altitude. The only negative assessment noted by G.55 pilots was the pronounced left-hand yawing at takeoff. This was partially remedied by a slight offset positioning of the vertical stabilizer to counteract engine torque.
A Fiat G.55 with ANR livery exhibited at the Museo storico dell'Aeronautica Militare di Vigna di Valle, on Bracciano lake, in Lazio region.
By early 1943, increased Allied bombing raids over Italy had showed that there was no suitable high-altitude fighter to deal with them effectively. The Macchi C.202's performance decreased above 8,000 m (26,250 ft), the typical altitude of the bombers and the MC.202's armament of two 12.7 mm (.5 in) machine guns was hardly adequate to bring down the large American bombers. Of the Serie 5 fighters, the Centauro showed the best high altitude performance, due to its large wing surface area. Also its powerful armament, along with the generous ammunition supply (the G.55 had 250 rounds of 20 mm ammunition in the hub cannon as opposed to 120 rounds in the Re.2005) standardized in the production Serie I, was enough to bring down the US bombers.
The Regia Aeronautica commissioned the production of 1,800 G.55s, later raising that number to 2,400.[6] A pre-production series of 34 examples was ordered: these aircraft were mostly based on the prototype, with minor changes to improve its flying characteristics. They had a different weapon layout, as stated above, with the two lower cowling machine guns moved into the wings. Only 19 of the 34 commissioned aircraft were built, and six of them were converted to the Serie I standard at the factory.
The production version, named Serie I, had the standard armament of three 20 mm MG 151/20s and two 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns, plus two underwing racks to bring either two bombs (up to 160 kg/350 lb) or two drop tanks (100 L/26 US Gal). At the date of the Armistice, 8 September 1943, 35 G.55s of all Series had been delivered, including three prototypes. Of these, only one was flown to South Italy to join the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force (a second G.55, MM.91150, was obtained by the Allies in summer 1944, when test pilot, Serafino Agostini, defected with an escaped English POW, an RAF captain sitting on his knees. The aircraft was then taken on charge by the RAF and transferred to the Central Fighter Establishment of Tangmere, Great Britain, on 17 March 1945, with the number VF204 applied, was put in the depot at Ford, then nothing was known anymore of it.[7][8])
From that date on, the Centauro served with the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR), the air force of the fascist state created by Mussolini with the Germans' help in North Italy. It still not exactly known how many "Centauros" were eventually requisitioned by the Luftwaffe or those acquired by ANR. About 18 aircraft were expropriated by the ANR while 12-20 (but according to some official reports, 42) were requisitioned by the Germans.[7]
The Fiat factory, in Turin under German control, continued production for about six months and when on on 25 April 1944, Fiat factories were heavily bombed (15 G.55s were destroyed[8] with some three-engined transport G.12s, BR.20 bombers and CR.42LWs ordered by the Luftwaffe), 164 "Centauros" had been completed, 97 of them being produced after the Armistice and delivered to ANR. Following the advice of Rustungs und Kriegsproduktion Stab (RuK), the German Control Commission, production was dispersed in small cities of Monferrato and production of parts were assigned to CANSA of Novara and AVIA in Vercelli. The parts were then assembled in Turin where the aircraft were to be flown by test pilots Valentino Cus, Rolandi, Agostini and Catella.[9] Production slowed markedly, and was stopped by the German authorities in September 1944.[10] A total of 148 G.55s were delivered to the ANR and, when the factory was captured, 37 more examples were ready, while 73 were still on the production line, in various degrees of completion.

Operational history

Fiat G.55 two aircraft.jpg
The first Centauro to see operational use was the third prototype. On 21 March 1943, the aircraft was assigned to 20° Gruppo (squadron), 51° Stormo (wing) CT, based on Roma-Ciampino, for operational evaluation. In May, the G.55 followed the unit to Capoterra, near Cagliari having its baptism of fire on 5 June 1943, against Allied aircraft attacking Sardinia. The two first pre-production series flew, respectively, on 10 April and in May 1943. In early June they were assigned to 353a Squadriglia (flight - very similar in composition to the Luftwaffe Staffel) CT based in Foligno, Umbria, were, until August, were transferred nine more aircraft.[11]
Pilots were delighted when they began to receive the new fighter in summer 1943.[12]
In June, the first Serie I were assigned to Gruppo Complementare of 51° Stormo in Foligno, near Perugia, but in July the 11 G.55 of Gruppo Complementare were transferred to 353a Squadriglia, that already had in charge the "pre-series" machines, to operate from Roma-Ciampino Sud airfield. The 353a Squadriglia, commanded by Capitano Egeo Pittoni, flew many missions against the American bomber formation, but the flights were stopped when Rome was declared "Città aperta" (Open City). On 27 August, the Squadriglie 351a and 352a left Sardinia and arrived in Foligno to be re-equipped with G.55. But at the date of the 8 Septempber the G.55 had not been delivered yet. During the first week of September, 12 Centauros had been assigned to 372a Squadriglia of 153° Gruppo in Torino-Mirafiori.[13] On 8 September 1943, the date of Armistice, the Regia Aeronautica had received 35 G.55s. Only one of them flew to southern Italy, accepting the invitation of Maresciallo d'Italia Pietro Badoglio to surrender to Allied forces.

ANR service

There still is not exact data about the G.55 captured by Luftwaffe or acquired by Aeronautica Nazionale Republicana. About 18 G.55s were acquired by ANR while 12-20, or even 42, according to some reports, were requisitioned by the Luftwaffe.[11] The Centauro entered in service with the ANR; a decision was made to produce 500 G.55s, of which 300 were G.55/I and 200 G.55/II Serie II, armed with five 20 mm MG 151/20s and no machine guns. Only 148 were delivered to the ANR units that, as the number of available G.55s dwindled, were progressively re-equipped with the Bf 109G, of various sub-versions, even though Italian pilots preferred the G.55 with cancellation of production being extremely unpopular.[10]
The ANR had two Gruppi Caccia terrestre (fighter squadrons), the first was initially equipped with the Macchi C.205, from November 1943 to May 1944, then, re-equipped with the G.55/I in June 1944 until it switched to the Bf 109G starting from November 1944. The 2nd Gruppo was the main unit equipped with the G.55, of which it had 70 examples from December 1943-August 1944, before being progressively re-equipped with the Bf 109G.
The first unit in ANR to be equipped with G.55 was the Squadriglia Montefusco, in November 1943, operating from Piemonte until 29 March 1944, when it was absorbed by the 1st Gruppo and transferred in Veneto. The 2nd Gruppo was formed at Bresso. It was initially commanded by Lt Col Antonio Vizzoto, and later by Lt Col Aldo Alessandrini. [14] It had three Squadriglie (the 4th, Gigi Tre Osei, the 5th, Diavoli Rossi, and the 6th, Gamba di Ferro). The unit operated near Milan and Varese until April 1944, then it was transferred near Parma and Pavia, then again near the Lake Garda (Brescia and Verona). At the end of May, the 2° Gruppo gave its G.55s to 1° Gruppo and re-equipped with 46 exI./JG 53 and II.JG 77 Bf 109G-6/R6[14]
With the ANR, the G.55s gave a good account of themselves against Allied fighters like the Spitfires and Mustang. [15]

German interest

In December 1942, a technical commission of the Regia Aeronautica was invited by the Luftwaffe to test some German aircraft in Rechlin. The visit was part of a joint plan for the standardization of the Axis aircraft production. In the same time, some Luftwaffe officers visited Guidonia where they were particularly interested in the performance promised by the Serie 5 fighters. On 9 December, these impressions were discussed in a Luftwaffe staff meeting and raised the interest of Hermann Goering himself. In February 1943, a German test commission was sent in Italy to evaluate the new Italian fighters.[16] The commission was led by Oberst Petersen and was formed by Luftwaffe officers and pilots and by technical personnel, among them the Flugbaumeister Malz. The Germans also brought with them several aircraft including a Fw 190 A-5 and a Bf 109 G-4 for direct comparison tests in simulated dogfights.
The tests began 20 February 1943 with the German commission very impressed by the Italian aircraft, the G.55 in particular. In general, all the Serie 5 fighters were very good at low altitudes, but the G.55 was also competitive with its German opponents in term of speed and climb rate at high altitudes still maintaining superior handling characteristics. The definitive evaluation by the German commission was "excellent" for the G.55, "excellent" for the Re.2005 but very complicated to produce and "average" for the C.205. Oberst Petersen defined the G.55 "the best fighter in the Axis" and immediately telegraphed his impressions to Goering. After listening the recommendations of Petersen, Milch and Galland, a meeting held by Goering on 22 February 1943 voted to produce the G.55 in Germany.
German interest, apart from the good test results, derived also from the development possibilities they were able to see in the G.55 and in the Re.2005. Particularly, the G.55 was bigger and heavier and was considered a very good candidate for the new DB 603 engine, which was considered too large for the Bf 109's airframe. Other visits were organized in Germany during March and May 1943 in Rechlin and Berlin. The G.55 was again tested at Rechlin at the presence of Milch. Gabrielli and other FIAT personnel were invited to visit German factories and to discuss the evolution of the aircraft. The specifications of the German G55/II included the DB 603 engine, five 20 mm guns and a pressurized cockpit. The suggestion of weapons in the wings, limited to one 20 mm gun for each wing, originated the final configuration of the Serie I, while the DB 603 engine was successfully installed in the what became the G.56 prototype. As a concrete results of the German interest in the G.55, the Luftwaffe acquired three complete G.55/0 airframes (MM 91064-65-66) for evaluations and experiments providing three DB 603 engines and original machinery for the setup of other production line of the Italian copy of DB 605. Two of the Luftwaffe G.55s remained in Turin, at the Aeritalia plants, where they were used by German and Italian engineers to study the planned modifications and the possible optimizations to the production process. Later these two were converted to Serie I and delivered to the ANR. The third one was transferred to Rechlin for tests and experiments in Germany. The DB 603 engines were used to build the G.56 prototypes.
The interest in the G.55 program was still high after the Armistice. In October 1943, Kurt Tank, who previously personally tested a G.55 in Rechlin, having nothing but praise for the aircraft, was in Turin to discuss G.55 production. However, war events and the not yet optimized production process were the reasons for which the G.55 program was eventually abandoned by the Luftwaffe. Early production of G.55 required about 15,000 man-hours; while there were estimations to reduce the effort to about 9,000 man-hours, the German factories were able to assemble a Bf 109 in only 5,000 man-hours. The DB 603 were instead to be used in Tank's own Ta-152 C.
G.55 S prototype c. 1945

Torpedo fighter

The Regia Aeronautica employed torpedo bomber with success in the early war years, with the three-engine, SIAI-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero medium bomber inflicting considerable losses on Allied shipping in the Mediterranean Sea. By late 1942 the aging Sparviero was facing continually improving Allied fighters and anti aircraft defences.leading to the General staff exploring the idea of using a fighter aircraft for torpedo attacks. A fighter operating from Italian coasts with an operational range of 300–400 km (190-250 mi), would be capable of delivering a torpedo at high speed and evade enemy fighters or engage them after the attack run.
Fiat was asked to begin studies for a G.55 conversion to carry a 680 kg (1,500 lb) Whitehead torpedo, a shorter and more compact version of the standard weapon used by the SM.79. With the decision to develop a G.57, whose specifications included the capability of carrying torpedoes, all similar work on the G.55 torpedo fighter was suspended.
Later, after the G.57 project was dropped, and given the ANR's continuing need for an aircraft that could replace the SM.79, the ANR engineers undertook the task of converting the Centauro for the torpedo attack role. A production aircraft (military serial number MM. 91086) was modified to carry a 920 kg (2,030 lb), 5.46 m (17.91 ft) long torpedo. The radiator for the engine liquid cooler, positioned in the fuselage belly, under the cockpit area, was split in two, gaining a 90 cm (35 in) slot where two racks were mounted to carry the torpedo. The tailwheel strut was lengthened and equipped with a strengthened shock absorber, and a protective cone was added in front of the tailwheel. The two 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns were removed, leaving the aircraft with the three 20 mm cannons only as fixed armament. Weight: 2,600-4,100 kg[17]
The aircraft, designated G.55S, first flew in August 1944 and was successfully tested in January 1945.[10] Despite the cumbersome external load, performance was good and the handling acceptable. The ANR ordered a pre-series of 10 examples and a production series of 100 aircraft, but the conclusion of the war put an end to the project. The G.55S prototype survived the war and, after being converted back to the Serie I standard, it became the first G.55 to be delivered to the newly formed Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI).

Fiat G.56

The Fiat G.56 was basically a Fiat G.55 with a German Daimler-Benz DB 603 engine. Two prototypes were built, flight tests starting in March 1944.[10] On 30 March, Commander Valentino Cus reached speeds of 690/700 km/h (430/440 mph).[18] Official maximum speed was 685 km/h (426 mph) and the aircraft was armed with three 20 mm MG 151/20s, one firing through the propeller hub, the other two installed in the wings.[19] While performance was excellent, the aircraft proving superior to both the Bf 109K and Bf 109G and Fw 190A, outmanoeuvring [2] all types in testing, production was not allowed by the German authorities.[10]

After World War II

In 1946, Fiat restarted production of the G.55, using the large stock of partly complete airframes and components remaining in its factories. It was available in two versions, the G.55A, a single seat fighter/advanced trainer, and the G.55B, a two seat advanced trainer, whose prototypes flew on 5 September 1946 and 12 February 1946 respectively.[19]
The AMI acquired 19 G.55As and 10 G.55Bs, while the Argentine Air Force purchased 30 G.55As, and 15 G.55Bs.[20]

G.59

Fiat G.59
The production of these orders for G.55s for Italy and Argentina caused the available stocks of the Italian licence-built version of the DB 605 engine to run short. As there was still a demand for the aircraft, it was decided to convert the type to use the more readily available Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, with the first conversion flying in early 1948.[21] The conversion was successful, and the AMI decided to convert its G.55s to Merlin power, these re-entering service at the Lecce flying school in 1950 as the G.59-1A and G.59-1B (single and two seat versions).[22]
Syria placed an order for 30 similar aircraft, which by this time, were completely from new production as the stocks of G.55 components had been exhausted. Of these, 26 were single seaters (designated G.59-2A) and the remaining four two seaters (G.59-2B).[21] A single G.59-2A was acquired by Argentina for evaluation, but no further orders followed from the South American republic.
The final versions were the G.59-4A single seater and G.59-4B two seater, which were fitted with bubble canopies for improved visibility. 20 G.59-4As and ten G.59-4Bs were purchased by Italy.[21]

Variants

  • G.55 : 3 prototypes.
  • G.55/0 : 16 pre-production aircraft.
  • G.55/1 : 15 initial production aircraft.
  • G.55/2 : bomber interceptor version.
  • G.55/S : torpedo attack aircraft model.
  • G.55/A,B : monoplace/twin place trainer versions,developed after the conflict.
  • G.56 : model with engine Daimler-Benz DB 603A of 1,750hp.
  • G.57 : version planeed with engine Fiat A.83RC 24-52 of 1,250hp

Operators

 Argentina
 Egypt
 Italy
 Italian Social Republic
 Italy
 Syria

Specifications (G.55/I)

Data from "Centauro - The Final Fling"[23]
General characteristics
  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 9.37 m (30 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan: 11.85 m (38 ft 10 in)
  • Height: 3.13 m (without the antenna mast) (10 ft 3¼ in)
  • Wing area: 21.11 m² (227.23 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 2,630 kg (5,798 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 3,520 kg (7,760 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 3,718 kg (8,197 lb)
  • Powerplant:Fiat R.A 1050 Tifone (license-built Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1) liquid-cooled inverted V-12, 1,085 kW (1,475 hp)
Performance
  • Maximum speed: 623 km/h (337 kn, 387 mph (417mph with WEP)) at 7,000 m (22,970 ft)
  • Range: 1,200 km, or 1,650 km with two 100 l (26 US Gal) drop tanks under wings (545 nmi, 627 mi (or 891 nmi, 1,025 mi with drop tanks ))
  • Service ceiling: 12,750 m (41,830 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 5 min 50 sec at 6,000 m (Dimensione Cielo, Caccia Assalto 3 Edizioni Bizzarri, Roma 1972, pag. 15) ()
  • Wing loading: 154.0 kg/m² (34.15 lb/ft²)
  • Power/mass: 0.308 kW/kg (0.190 hp/lb)
  • Climb to 7,000 m (22,970 ft): 8.57 min
Armament
G.55 Serie 0:
  • 1 × 20 mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannon, engine-mounted (250 rounds)
  • 4 × 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns, two in the upper engine cowling, two in the lower cowling/wing roots (300 rpg)
G.55 Serie I:
  • 3 × 20 mm MG 151/20s, one engine-mounted (250 rounds) and two wing-mounted (200 rpg)
  • 2 × 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns in the upper engine cowling (300 rpg)
  • Provision for 2 × 160 kg (353 lb) bombs on underwing racks (N.B. Egyptian and Syrian aircraft used Machine guns in the wings instead of cannon)

Fiat G.50

G.50 Freccia
Fiat G.50 in Finnish markings
Role Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer FIAT
Designed by Giuseppe Gabrielli
First flight 26 February 1937
Introduced 1938
Retired 1945
Primary users Regia Aeronautica
Finnish Air Force
Ejército del Aire
Luftwaffe
Number built 791
Variants Fiat G.55
The Fiat G.50 Freccia ("Arrow") was a World War II Italian fighter aircraft. First flown in February 1937, the G.50 was Italy’s first single-seat, all-metal monoplane [1] with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear to go into production. Pilots disliked the sliding cockpit canopy, which was not easy to open quickly and interfered with vision, so in later production series, an open cockpit was adopted. In early 1938, the Freccias served in the Regia Aeronautica including with the Aviazione Legionaria in Spain, where they proved to be fast [2] and, typical of most Italian designs, very manoeuvrable,[1] however, the aircraft had inadequate armament (two Breda-SAFAT 12,7 mm machine guns).[3] The Fiat G.50 was also used in small numbers by the Croatian Air Force and 35 were flown to Finland where they served with distinction.[3]

Contents

  • 1 Design and development
  • 2 Operational history
    • 2.1 World War II
      • 2.1.1 Battle of Britain
      • 2.1.2 North Africa
      • 2.1.3 Aegean theater
      • 2.1.4 In Finnish service
      • 2.1.5 In Croatian service
  • 3 Variants
  • 4 Operators
  • 5 Survivors
  • 6 Specifications (G.50)

Design and development

The Fiat G.50 was designed by Giuseppe Gabrielli, who started design of a single-engined monoplane fighter in April 1935.[4][5] Production started in mid-summer 1936. Construction was entrusted to the workshops of CMASA (Costruzioni Meccaniche Aeronautiche S.A.) at Marina di Pisa. The prototype first flew on 26 February 1937, with Comandante Giuseppe De Briganti at the controls. In his first flight, De Briganti reached a top speed of 472 km/h and managed to climb to 6,000 meters in 6 minutes and 40 seconds.[6] The G.50 was the first front line Italian monoplane fighter with retractable undercarriage, and with these improvements, its maximum speed was 33 km/h (21 mph) faster than its contemporary, the biplane Fiat CR.42. Both types were powered by the 626 kW (840 hp) Fiat A.74 RC38, 14-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine.
In 1937, along with the first pre-series machines, a Gruppo sperimentale was formed. The first versions could have different armament: one or two 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns on the nose and two more 7.7 mm (.303 in) Breda-SAFAT in the wings. Later versions were also distinquished by a larger rudder.[7]
In September 1937, Fiat received a first order for 45 aircraft. Before a larger order was placed, the Air Ministry decided to hold a comparative test with the new Macchi MC.200. On 20 October 1937, Comandante Giuseppe De Briganti, Chief Test Pilot of the Fiat G.50 program, was killed on the sixth evaluation flight of the second prototype (M.M.335) when the aircraft did not recover from a high speed dive.[8] At Guidonia, flight tests showed the aircraft easily entered into autorotation (uncontrolled spinning), a highly dangerous trait especially at low level, where recovery was impossible.
During a visit by Italian King Victor Emmanuel III and Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, another tragedy occurred in Guidonia. While performing a low, fast pass, three G.50s flown by the experienced pilots, Maggiore Mario Bonzano, Tenenti Beretta and Marasco encountered difficulty. Beretta's aircraft spun uncontrollably and crashed into the ammunitions laboratory, killing the pilot.[9] Despite the crashes, flight tests were satisfactory and the "Freccia" proved to be more maneuverable than the faster Macchi MC.200 which was declared the winner of the Caccia I ("Fighter One") competition on 9 June 1938. On account of its maneuverability, the Regia Aeronautica Commission decided to order the Fiat as well, while the third participant aircraft, the IMAM Ro. 51, was rejected.[10]
In early 1938, the first examples were delivered to the Regia Aeronautica. Italian pilots did not like the enclosed canopy because it could not be opened quickly and because it was constructed from plexiglass of very poor quality prone to cracking, limiting visibility.[11] Consequently, in the second batch of 200 machines, an open cockpit was installed. After 1939, the main production was shifted to the CMASA factory in Marina di Pisa, Tuscany.[12]
In 1938, the Regia Aeronautica requested a two-seater trainer which was designated the G.50/B (Bicomando Bc.). The first were built in the second half of 1939. The student pilot sat in the front in a closed cockpit with two roll bars. The first five aircraft were part of the 1a serie ("first series"). Successive production was entrusted to CMASA who completed 106 G.50/Bs. A G.50/B was later transformed into a reconnaissance aircraft, equipped with planimetric camera. Another G.50/B was adapted with a hook to operate as a naval reconnaissance aircraft intended for the aircraft carrier Aquila, which was never completed .[13] In September 1940 a slightly improved version appeared, the G.50 bis. Its main advantage was extended combat range due to an additional tank of 104 litres (27 USgal), increasing range from 645 km to 1,000 km.[13]
The last version was the G.50/V (Veloce) built in mid-1941 by CMASA, equipped with a DB.601 engine of 1,075 CV. During tests at Fiat Aviazione's airfield in Turin, it reached a top speed of 570 km/h in level flight and managed to climb to 6,000 meters in 5 minutes 30 seconds. Nonetheless, Gabrielli had already designed the Fiat G.55 and Fiat had already obtained the licence to build the 1,475 CV Daimler Benz 605, so the G.50/V was used for tests with new equipment and then was scrapped.[14]
Total G.50 production was 784 aircraft, 426 built by Fiat Aviazione and 358 coming from CMASA. Exports included 58 G.50s: 13 to Spain, 35 to Finland and 10 to Croatia.[15]

Operational history

In 1938, the first operational Fiat G.50 aircraft were delivered to the Regia Aeronautica. During the Spanish Civil War, about a dozen G.50s were sent to Spain to reinforce the Aviazione Legionaria. The type proved extremely maneuverable, it was one of Italy's best fighters, yet by the time World War II began, it was considered to be underpowered and underarmed.[12]

World War II

There were 118 G.50s available when Italy entered World War II (97 in front line duty), most assigned to the 51° Stormo based in Ciampino airport, just outside Rome and in Pontedera, with 22° Gruppo of 52° Stormo. On 10 June 1940, when Italy declared war against France, 22° Gruppo G.50s went into action, followed by the 48 aircraft of 20° Gruppo.[4]

Battle of Britain

In September 1940, 20° Gruppo (Squadriglie 351/352/353), commanded by Maggiore Mario Bonzano, equipped with Fiat G.50 was part of the 56° Stormo formed to operate during the Battle of Britain as part of the Corpo Aereo Italiano based in Belgium, with 18° Gruppo (Fiat CR.42). Their use was hampered by their slow speed, open cockpits and short range. At the beginning of 1941, the C.A.I. came back in Italy, except for two G.50 Squadriglie that stayed in Belgium with Luftflotte 2, until April. While with the C.A.I. the Fiats flew 429 missioni-velivoli (missions), 34 escorts and 26 scrambles but could not manage to engage enemy aircraft. One aircraft was lost and seven more were damaged. While with Luftflotte 2, 20° Gruppo lost four additional fighters and two pilots were killed (Roncali (13 February 1941) and Meneghini (3 April), both of 352a Squadriglia), while two G.50s were damaged by German fighters and flak.[16] [N 1]
The experiences of the early series G.50s over Britain showed the inadequacies of the type. Its operations were almost useless in the campaign because they were too short-ranged and stationed too away from England. The G.50s had limited endurance, with missions rarely exceeding one hour. The G.50bis with larger fuel tanks was already in production, but it was not sent to 20° Gruppo in time. Performance was also lacking; when 22 Fiat G.50s intercepted several Hawker Hurricanes on 5 November 1940, the RAF fighters easily escaped. On 21 November, when a Bristol Blenheim attacked the Medgelem airfield two G.50s scrambled, but lost the bomber in the clouds. On 23 November, G.50s followed four Hurricanes, but were unable to close on them. Another fruitless intercept took place on 31 January, when G.50s lost a Blenheim that escaped into the clouds. The last sighting of enemy aircraft (fighters) occurred on 8 April 1941, when, once again, the elusive targets were not intercepted.
The G.50s were early models with an open canopy, useful in Mediterranean climes, but the pilots suffered heavily in the bad weather of northern Europe. The aircraft was also under-equipped, with a mediocre radio set (powered by batteries, prone to freeze at altitude) and lacking any armour protection. [N 2] In Belgium, 20° Gruppo had the opportunity to see the Bf 109 in action with several G.50 pilots trained top fly the type with two Bf 109Es sent to the Gruppo in mid-January 1941.[18]
The G.50s returned to Italy and later the 20° Gruppo had the G.50bis that had the endurance required for operational missions utilizing an extra fuel tank in the internal fuselage section originally configured as a bomb bay, but this series was primarily utilized over Africa. In the second half of the war, the G.50 operated as a multirole fighter/ground attack aircraft, with external bombs only.[19] During the opening phase of the Allied invasion of Sicily, the G.50 was the most numerous aircraft used by the Regia Aeronautica to counter attack the Allied landings.[20] Just before the invasion, the Regia Aeronautica moved to Southern Italy. 50° Stormo Assalto, a specialized ground attack unit was equipped with Fiat G.50bis fighter-bombers. As soon the invasion started, on 10 July 1943, further units were rushed to the area.[21] With other Italian and German ground attack units, 45 Fiat G.50bis of 158° and 159° Gruppi Assalto, from Pistoia [20] were committed to attack ships, landing craft and troops. On 11 July, 10 of them were in action with Re.2002s (escorted by five Re.2005s of 362a Squadriglia), when they were intercepted by an overwhelming fighter “umbrella”. Three G.50s were shot down, including Tenente Colonnello Guido Nobili, commander of 5° Stormo Assalto.[22] The remainder landed on a airfield but were destroyed by an incoming air attack.
By the time of the Italian Armistice with the Allies, only a few G.50s were left in Italian service. Some were used as part of the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, while four others were used by the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana as fighter trainers.

A Regia Aeronautica G.50 flying with a Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 110 over North Africa in 1941.
The top scoring Italian pilot in a Fiat G.50 was Furio Lauri, who was credited with 11 "kills" before the end of 1941 with a final score of 18.[23]

North Africa

The first 27 Fiat G.50s, belonging to Squadriglie 150a and 152a from 2° Gruppo Autonomo C.T., arrived in Libya on 27 December 1940, operating from Brindisi and Grottaglie airfields. They flew their first combat mission on 9 January 1941 when Capitano Pilota Tullio Del Prato (already known to have been a Reggiane Test pilot), Comandante of 150a Squadriglia encountered a Hawker Hurricane Mk I on the front line that attacked him, forcing the Fiat to crash-land in the desert.[24] On 25 January 1941, a new unit, 20° Gruppo Autonomo C.T., with 351a, 360a and 378a Squadriglie, commanded by Maggiore pilota Pietro Bianchi, arrived in Libya, with 31 brand new Fiat monoplanes. On 27 May, 20° Gruppo was reinforced by 151a Squadriglia, equipped with the new Fiat G.50bis version. Caught up in the chaotic retreat of Italian army in the winter of 1940–41, the Fiat G.50s saw little action.
In Africa, although the G.50s were mainly outperformed, G.50 pilots sometimes managed to shoot down the faster and better armed Hurricanes and P-40s. G.50s were faster than biplanes, as showed in 1939 air exercises, so they could be useful against British bombers, even if their armament was relatively weak and often insufficient to shot down their target. At that time, the G.50s were the better -bis version, that was also heavier although the extra fuel provided almost two hours of flight time. The G.50s did not carry bombs, but used HE and incendiary bullets. Their usual tactic with the G.50 was to dive from 1,500 meters but the type never flew very high over Africa, with the usual ceiling not exceeding 4,500 m. The aircraft were still lacking radios and the desert sand, despite their air filter, could cut the engine lifespan to only 70–80 hours.[25]
In the hands of expert pilots, the Fiat G.50 could score multiple kills in a single action. On the evening of 9 July 1941, Sergente Maggiore Aldo Buvoli of 378a Squadriglia, 155° Gruppo Autonomo, took off from Castel Benito airfield to patrol Tripoli harbour, and duly intercepted seven Blenheim light bombers that were performing a low-level attack on the ships, already pursued by two Fiat CR.42 biplanes from 151° Gruppo. Buvoli attacked the bombers shooting at each of them, in sequence. One Blenheim ditched in the sea while another was shot down a few miles north of Tripoli. Two more Blenheims flown never returned to Luqa airfield in Malta and were posted as missing. For these successes Buvoli was awarded with the Medaglia d’argento al Valor Militare and was subsequently credited with four kills, No. 110 Squadron RAF reporting the loss of a similar number of Blenheims IVs on its very first mission since arriving in Malta from UK in early July.[26][27]
One of the units fielded by the Regia Aeronautica was the 155° Gruppo, based at Derna airfield. One of the few first claims by "Freccias" pilots was on 9 April 1941, when Tenente Pilota Carlo Cugnasca (an expert pilot, and the first one that delivered a G.50 in Finland), attacked three Hurricanes Mk Is from No. 73 Squadron RAF, claiming one although this air victory was not confirmed.[28] In return, he was forced to crash-land his G.50, flipping over the airstrip, but remaining unharmed. At low level, the clashes were often confused and with unpredictable effects, and the tactical surprise was often what made the difference, as the next battle showed. Cugnasca was still in action 14 April; that day, 66 Axis aircraft attacked Tobruk. They were mainly Ju.87 Stukas (42 from Lutftwaffe III./StG 1 and II./StG 2, and seven from 96° Gruppo), escorted by eight G.50s (155° Gr), four C.R.42s (18° Gr) and five Bf 110 (III.ZG 26). The defenders were too few, being only those of 73° Sqn. RAF Hurricanes had to attack the bombers without much care about Axis fighters. But Stukas were too dangerous to leave free, being so precise and lethal machines. Cugnasca and Marinelli attacked H.G. Webster, when he was shooting to a Stuka. Hurricanes with Stokes air-filter were only marginally faster than a G.50, so Webster was followed and finally shot down and killed (Hurricane V7553) over Tobruk. "Smudgeon" Smith, a Canadian ace (with five victories) saw what was going on, and attacked both Cugnasca and Marinelli, shooting down and killed them. Finally, Smith attacked and damaged another G.50, but commander Fanello saw him and saved the third G.50, surprising and shooting down Smith. That day was a draw, with two G.50 and two Hurricane lost. Both Smith and Cugnasca were well known and respected, so it was also a human heavy loss for both sides.[29]
G.50s operated from Martuba airfield with the first attack over Sidi el Barrani airfield made seven days later. On 4 July 1941, six G.50s attacked again, strafing aircraft and ground equipment. G.50s continued in operations, with the worst day for them during 'Operation Crusader'. On 18 November, the Desert Air Force destroyed 13 aircraft on the Ain el Gazala airfields; 10 of them were G.50s. On 19 November, 20° Gruppo was based at Sid el Rezegh. That day, British armoured forces (40 Crusaders of 6th RTR and several units of 3rd Brigade, South African Regiment, both part of 7th Armoured Brigade) suddenly attacked the airfield. Of the 19 G.50s, only three escaped from the airfield, where 80 pilots and ground crew were taken as POW. In only two days, Regia Aeronautica lost 34 aircraft. In total, G.50s losses were no less but 26, and the 20° Gruppo was almost destroyed, since it had only 36 G.50s with 27 of them serviceable. Tente Col Mario Bonzano, commander of 20° Groupo, was among the captured, while his vice, Furio Niclot Doglio, was almost shot down since he was not aware of the British operation. Several G.50s were captured almost intact and at least one was taken from No. 260 and later passed to No. 272 Sqn.[30]
After 1941, G.50s played a minor role in the Regia Aeronautica. In June 1942, British intelligence estimated the 12° Gruppo having 26 G.50s (10 serviceable), while the backbone of 5a Squadra Aerea were 104 C.202s, 63 C.200s, 32 Z.1007 and 31 S.79s.[31]

Aegean theater

After the Italian declaration of war against Greece, the Freccia began operations on 28 October 1940 in the Balkans and Aegean Sea theater. The 48 I^ serie G.50s were from 24° Gruppo (Squadriglie 354 and 355, based at Berat) and 54° Gruppo (Squadriglie 361 and 395, based at Devoli). The 2° Gruppo, commanded by Maggiore Giuseppe Baylon (Squadriglie 150 and 152) with a mixed component of 12 Fiat monoplanes and CR.32s was based on Bari-Grottaglie airfield.[32]
During the Greece campaign, adverse weather conditions hampered the air operations for the most part of the time; but nevertheless, there were several days in which fierce battles were fought, often with a large amount of overclaiming made by both sides. Early on 20 February 1941, Hawker Hurricane fighters were engaged in their first aerial combat over the Balkans when seven 54° Gruppo G.50s scrambled from Devoli to intercept a formation of RAF bombers with their Hurricane escorts. A few days earlier, a British cargo ship had delivered six Hurricanes and several Wellingtons to Paramythia and these few aircraft boosted the RAF power in the region. "Freccias" claiming a bomber and a fighter while the British claimed four G.50s. On the same day, in the afternoon, 15 G.50s engaged a large mixed formation of RAF Gloster Gladiators claiming 10 aircraft for the loss of one Fiat.[33] RAF claimed three G.50s without any losses. Postwar records showed only a Bristol Blenheim and a G.50 lost for the day. On 28 February 1941 another massive air battle had RAF units intercepting Italian bombers and escorts, claiming five BR.20, three Sm.79s, 13 CR.42s and six G.50s, plus several others damaged. Italians claimed six Gladiators and one Spitfire. The recorded losses were one Gladiator (No.112 Sqn) and eight Italian aircraft, included two G.50bis (24o Gruppo) and four BR.20s (many more were damaged). After this aerial battle, the Regia Aeronauticawas no longer effective in the theatre.[34][35]
On 4 March 1941, a Fiat G.50 bis shot down the Hurricane V7288 of Australian RAF ace Flight Lieutenant Nigel "Ape" Cullen (credited with 15/16 victories) off Valona coast (Albania), while he was flying as wingman for ace Marmaduke "Pat" Pattle.[23][34] In the Greek campaign, the Fiat losses of 10 fighters included combat losses and others destroyed in accidents and in the bombing of Italian airfields.[33]

In Finnish service

The G.50 saw its longest and most successful service in the two Finnish wars against the Soviet Union, the Winter War 1939-1940 and the Continuation War 1941-1944. Before the outbreak of hostilities, Finland ordered 35 Fiat G.50s at the end of 1939. The first 10 aircraft were to be delivered before February 1940, consequently a group of Finnish pilots arrived in Rome for a training course of 10 hours at Guidonia airport and later at Fiat Aviazione in Turin. On a training flight, Lieutenant Tapani Harmaja during a dive from 3,500 meters, reached an estimated speed of 780 km/h, considered excessive for the structural integrity of the aircraft (the windscreen was damaged in the process)[36][37]
Germany hindered the transit of the aircraft, consequently, the Fiats were disassembled and embarked in La Spezia on the Norwegian ship Braga, that set sail on 20 January, bound for Turku, Finland.[38] Due to this delay the first Fiat fighters did not reach HLevLv 26 at Utti, until February 1940,[39] too late to affect the course of the winter battles that year.[37] The first kill was achivied on 26 February.
The Fiat fighters saw little action although on 27 February 1940, Lieutenant Malmivuo was the first Finnish pilot to be killed in a G.50 (FA.12), when his fighter crashed after a combat with Soviet aircraft. At this stage, Finnish pilots preferred the Hurricane, the French Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 and even the Brewster Buffalo to the Fiat G.50.[40] Overall, HLeLv 26 archivied 11 kills vs one loss (plus another in a accident, as there were two Finnish pilots killed). Freccia's were numbered FA-1/FA-35, but it seems that only 33 were delivered (13 in February, 17 in March an one in June). The G.50s were taken from the 235 made by CMSA, both Serie I and Serie II aircraft but all had the open cockpit of the Serie II, a feature that Finnish pilots didn't like, especially in the winter. There were some attempts to improve the aircraft; one was tested with an enclosed cockpit, another with a D.XXI ski-undercarriage, but none of the modifications were accepted in service. Better protection for the propellers (with problems at extremely low temperatures) and few other changes were introduced. The speed of the Finnish G.50s was around 430–450 km/h, much lower than the standard series could achieve.[41]
The first demonstration of the Finnish Air Force's effectiveness came on 25 June 1941, thanks to the Fiat G.50 fighters from HLeLv 26, downing 13 out of 15 Soviet SB bombers.[39] A total of 13 aerial victories were achieved, with Captain O. Ehrnrooth, Lieutenant Olli Puhakka and Sergeant L. Aaltonen being the most successful Fiat pilots with two victories each.[42]
During the Continuation War, the Fiat fighters were most successful during the Finnish offensive of 1941, after that they became increasingly less effective.[43] In 1941, the Fiat squadron, LLv 26, claimed 52 victories against the loss of only two fighters. The Soviets were able to bring better, newer fighter types into the front lines during 1942 and 1943, while the Fiats were becoming old and run-down, and the lack of spare parts meant that pilots were restricted to only a minimal number of sorties. Nevertheless, between 30 November 1939 and 4 September 1944, HLeLv 26's G.50s shot down 99 enemy aircraft, shooting down more modern aircraft, such as the British fighters sent to URSS. In the same period, Finnish squadrons lost 41 aircraft (12 were G.50s and 10 more lost flak and non combat causes), including Bulldog IIAs, Fokker D.XXIs, Gloster Gladiators and Brewster B-239s.[39] The most successful Fiat G.50 fighter pilots were O. Tuominen (23 victories with G.50s), Capt Risto O. Puhakka (11),[44] N. Trontti (six), O. Paronen (four), U. Nieminen (four) and L. Lautamäki (four).[42] The Finnish Fiats were finally phased out of front line duty in summer 1944. They were not more than 10-12 and, even as trainers, they lasted not too long, since lacked spare parts. Differently than the older MS.406, there was no effort to change their engine making them better and faster, and probably at the end of the war they were already phased-out.[45]

In Croatian service

In October 1941, the Croatian Air Force Legion requested a certain amount of arms from Italy, among them a number of fighters. Italy agreed to deliver 10 Fiat G.50s (nine single seaters and one two seater) along with parachutes, radios and spare parts including four Fiat A.74/RC.38 engines and a stock of ammunition. On 12 June 1942 the Fiat G.50bis fighters took off from Turin-Fiat Aviazione bound for Croatia, but before crossing the border they were stopped by an order from Capo di Stato Maggiore Ugo Cavallero, who was afraid that Croatian pilots could defect once equipped with the new Fiat aircraft. The G.50s had to wait until 25 June before being delivered to the Croatian Air Force.[46] The aircraft were delivered at the end of June 1942 and were allocated to the 16th Jato at Banja Luka [47] and were intensively used until 1945 against Yugoslav Partisans, at first in Bosnia and Herzegovina, then in Serbia, Croatia and Dalmatia.During 1942, a Croatian squadron, equipped with G.50bis, was transferred from Northern Yougoslavia on Ukrainian Front, flanking 4th Luftflotte.[48] On 25 June 1943, the Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Drzave Hrvatske (ZNDH), the Air Force of Independent State of Croatia, received nine G.50bis fighters and one G.50B. They were based, in October, at Zaluani airfield, in Banja Luka, and they flew many strafing mission against partisans, for almost a year.[49]
After the Italian armistice of 8 September 1943, the Luftwaffe supplied the Croatian Air Force Legion with about 20-25 Fiat G.50s captured by German troops on Regia Aeronautica airfields in the Balkans. These Fiat aircraft equipped two Croatian fighter units [46] By the end of 1943, the ZNDH had ten G.50s at its disposal. Three G.50s captured after the Armistice were loaned to Kro JGr 1 at the beginning of 1944.[49] In 1944 some of the G.50s were transferred to the training school in Brezice until 1945, when they were captured by Yugoslav Partisans. In postwar service, the Fiat G.50s were in use for some time in the newly formed Yugoslav Air Force (SFR), the last G.50s in active service.[46]

Variants

G.50
First production version.
G.50 bis
Development of the G.50 version with extended range, 421 built.
G.50ter
More powerful version with a 746 kW (1,000 hp) Fiat A.76 engine, one built.
G.50V
Liquid-cooled V12 variant with a Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, one built.
G.50bis A/N
Two-seat fighter-bomber prototype, one built.
G.50B
Two-seat trainer version.

Operators

 Croatia
 Finland
 Germany
 Italy
 Italian Social Republic
 Spain
 Yugoslavia

Survivors

Currently, the only known G.50 bis still in existence is undergoing restoration in the Museum of Aviation, in Surčin, at Nikola Tesla Airport, Serbia.[50]

Specifications (G.50)

Data from Fiat G.50 Freccia (Arrow) Specifications [51]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament

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