- Yes
- No
General info
With the Italian Royal Air Forces (Regia Aeronautica) realization that the Breda Ba.88 is a failure, they were soon found on various Italian training grounds and even with reduction in production there was still a surplus of them available. To make these aircraft useful, the air staff decided to refit them into dive bombers. The Ba.88s would be fitted with a less powerful, though more reliable and lighter engines, Fiat A.74 RC.38s, replacing the Piaggio P.XI RC.40 Stella engines. Initial tests on the Ba.88 with Fiat A.74 RC.38 engines proved it to be lighter and more aerodynamic thus, quicker even if they were less powerful. The Ba.88M was also fitted with a bigger bomb load (the semi-recessed bomb was replaced by external mounting point on the belly of the plane so as it would be able to carry bigger bombs) and dive breaks (2 different kinds of under-wing dive breaks were tested on the Ba.88M, the selected type to be installed was the Junkers Shutter model) to satisfy the need for a dive bomber, later versions would have a lengthened fuselage by 80 cm (31,5") and a bigger wing span increased by 2,3 m (7,55’) to reduce wing loading and get a better balance, the end of the wings would also be flat instead of being rounded. By June 1943 Ba.88Ms were solely used for training and had the previously mentioned upgrades as well as 2 x 12,7 mm in the roots of the wings and 2 x 12,7 mm machine guns in the nose, extra armour, an armoured windshield and got rid of the rear gunner/copilot completely, the rear turret was also dismounted. All of these upgrades together would make the aircraft heavier by 203 kg (without bombs) when compared to the Ba.88 and slower by more than 100 km/h. The Ba.88M was also in use by the Luftwaffe after the armistice in 1943.
Specifications
- Crew: 1
- Length: 11,55 m (37’ 10,7")
- Wingspan: 17,7 m (58’ 0,8")
- Height: 3 m (9’ 10.1")
- Wing area: /
- Empty weight: 5203 kg (11 470.6 lbs)
- Gross weight: /
- Powerplant: 2 x Fiat A.74 RC.38 (850 hp)
- Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 387,6 km/h at 4,2 km (240,8 mph at 13779’)
- Service ceiling: 6,65 km (21 817’)
- Time to altitude: 3 km - 11 min, 6 km - 24 min 41 sec
Armament
- Guns: 4 x 12,7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun
Suspended Armament
3 x 100 kg G.P 100 bomb
2 x 250 kg G.P 250 bomb
1 x 500 kg G.P 500 bomb
Why it should be in the game
I believe this plane should be in the game because Italy, just like in real life, needs more CAS that are Italian and not lend lease and have proper suspended armaments. Since we already have the Breda Ba.88 it would easy to add and model.
Sources
Ali d’Italia 019 - Breda Ba.88 Italian-English
https://www.colettiscombataircraft.com/prodotto/breda-ba-88-lynx/
Pictures
