- Yes
- No
I would like to suggest the Fiat G.55 Centauro Serie 1 or rather with the german name G55/I for the German tech tree. I dont mean possible Sottoserie 0, but Serie 1, as found on the pictures, distinct by the 20mm Mg 151/20 in the wings which didnt exist on the Sottoserie 0. Overall some more G55/I were also produced under the german armistice.
This could be an alternative to the Bf 109 Series at the higher Brs as it is more of an interim plane between the Bf 109 and Fw 190 D.
Combining speed, manuverability and firepower inbetween the two.
History:
The Fiat G.55 Centauro was an originally Italian singe seat and engine fighter plane introduced in 1943 until 1945 for ANR (Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana) and some German interest who took over after the armistice.
Designed and build in Turin by Fiat, it was propably the best italian produced fighter plane, beyond the Re.2005 and C.205 and even liked by the Luftwaffe after tests with Fw 190 A and Bf 110s.
During its rather short service after 1943 it flew over italy against Supermarine Spitfires, P-51s, P-47s and P-38s, showing its power and liked by its pilots.
In 1939, Italian aircraft manufacturers started switching over production to monoplane fighter aircraft, with inline engines instead of radial engines, with focus on Italian build copy of the DB 601 engines. Allready in 1941 the desinges changed their view again to copy build DB 605 engines, which became the Serie 5 planes, such as the C.205, Re.2005 and G.55.
The First Prototype of the G.55 flew on 30.04.1942, showing its good performance, but yet only armed with 1x Mg 151/20 and Breda Safat HMGs, which came to be as the Sottoserie 0 airframes, which was changed for Series 1, to 3x MG 151/20 and 2x Breda Safat HMGs.
In trails against the Macchi C.205V and Reggiane Re.2005, all equipped with the Copy DB 605 engine, the G.55 showed to be the 2nd best overall and won the tender set by the Regia Aeronautica.
While the C.205V was good at low and medium altitudes, fast and good at diving. The Re.2005 the fastest at high altitudes and best in dogfightes, it suffered vibrations and ballancing problems. While the errors were fixed, it was also the most expensive and time consuming in production. As such along the C.205 the G.55 was choosen for mass production.
By early 1943 the allied bombing raids over italy ever increased and there was no suitable high altitude flighter against them. The C.202s performance at the bombers nomal altitude of 8000 m dropped in performance and the armarment of 2 12,7 and 7,7 mm Mgs was simple too weak. However the Serie 5 Fighters, such as the G.55 showed the best high altitude performance and had very powerfull armarment consiting of 20mm MG 151/20 with a good amount of ammo per gun, which was enove to bring down heavy US bombers.
German usage:
While there is no exact data about the German (or ANR) used and captured G.55s there were 12-20 by ANR and/or as much as 42 by Luftwaffe Reports.
While the Centauro continued production under the german armistice, planned was 300 G.55/I and 200 G.55/II Serie II, mainly with different, increased armament of 5 20mm MG 151/20.
However only 148 were produced and delivered to ANR units and lost planes were replaced by Bf 109s, after which the production was again cancelled, even tho liked by its pilots.
German Interest didnt stop there, already in 12.1942, a technical commission of the Regia Aeronautica was invited by the Luftwaffe, to test some German aircraft in Rechlin.
This was part of a joined plan, to standerdize the Axis aircraft production, at the same time Luftwafe officers visited Guidonia, where they were particularly interested in the Serie 5 fighters.
Further Tests began in 20.02.1943, with the german commission very impressed by the G.55 in particular, in general all Serie 5 were good at low altitudes, but the G.55 was also competitive to its german counter parts. After listening to the recommendations of Petersen, Milch and Galland, a meeting held by Göring on 22 February 1943 voted to produce the G.55 in Germany.
German interest wasn’t just in the current results, but also the possibility to equip them with the bigger more powerfull DB 603 engines, which was seen as too big for the Bf 109 airframe.
While the story more or less ends there for the G55/I, germany showed interest more in the bigger engine direction, which resulted in the G.56, which was mostly the same, just with DB 603 engines. The interest in the project was still high after the armictice, however warsituation and the complicated production of the plane put an end to it, requireing even after reworked production about double the production hours of the Bf 109 with 9000 hours instead of 5000. As such Kurt Tank, who was also part of the tests, used the engines in his own project the Ta 152C aircrafts.
The G.56 was essencially a G.55 with larger DB 603 engines, of which 2 prototypes were build, with flight tests starting in 03.1944. Reaching speeds of 690/700 km/h, while the official max speed was 685 km/h, armed with 3 Mg 151/20. Performance was better than the Bf 109K and Fw 190A, however production was not allowed by Germany.
Plane Statistics:
General characteristics
- Crew: One
- Length: 9.37 m (30 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 11.85 m (38 ft 11 in)
- Height: 3.13 m (10 ft 3 in) excluding radio antenna mast
- Wing area: 21.11 m2 (227.2 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 2,630 kg (5,798 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,520 kg (7,760 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 3,718 kg (8,197 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Fiat RA.1050 R.C.58 Tifone V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,085 kW (1,455 hp) (license-built [Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1)
- Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 623 km/h (387 mph, 336 kn)
- Range: 1,200 km (750 mi, 650 nmi)
- Ferry range: 1,650 km (1,030 mi, 890 nmi) with 2 x 100 L (26 US gal; 22 imp gal) drop-tanks
- Service ceiling: 12,750 m (41,800 ft)
- Time to altitude:
- 6,000 m (20,000 ft) in 5 minutes 50 seconds
- 7,000 m (23,000 ft) in 8 minutes 34 seconds
- Wing loading: 154 kg/m2 (32 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.308 kW/kg (0.187 hp/lb)
Armament
G.55 Serie I:
- 3 × 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151/20s, one engine-mounted (250 rounds) and two wing-mounted (200 rpg)
- 2 × 12.7 mm (0.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns in the upper engine cowling (300 rpg)
- Provision for 2 × 160 kg (350 lb) bombs on underwing racks
Source:
World Aircaft: World War II Volume I Angelucci, Enzo and Matricardi, Paolo
Aircraft of World War II Ethell, Jeffrey L
War Planes of the Second World War Green, William
Centaur - The Final Fling Green, William and Swanborough Gordon.
Italian Aircraft of World War II Sgarlato, Nico
