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Fiat G.55 Centauro (Centaur)

History

Without a doubt, the Fiat G. 55 Centauro (Centaur) served in WWII as the best Italian closed-cockpit fighter - the latter was a rarity among Italian fighters during WWII. Production was delayed until 1943, but a total of 274 were eventually produced during the war and 75 after the war. The G.55 proved to be an excellent fighter design, combining an advanced, streamlined and aerodynamic airframe with a powerful engine to create a solid and reliable artillery platform.

The G. 55 was a major improvement over the G. 50 Freccia series of radial-engined open-cockpit fighters.

Fiat's Giuseppe Gabrielli

The design of the G. 55 is attributed to Giuseppe Gabrielli. Gabrielli worked as an aerospace engineer at Fiat and gained valuable experience in the field, including the design of its predecessor, the G. 50.

During his illustrious career, Gabrielli completed some 142 aircraft designs, including the design of Italy's first jet fighter - the Aeritalia G. 91 - and the impressive G. 222, a general purpose military transport aircraft.

G.55

Gabriell's G.55 design combines sleek lines with aerodynamic improvements. Choosing the German Daimler-Benz inline only benefits the type and immediately makes her the best fighter Italy can field. Before the war, Italian pilots generally preferred their fighter jets with open-air cockpits for excellent visibility and freedom, but high altitudes and high speeds required a closed canopy - something these "romantic" Italian pilots had to accept. A little to move forward. Their design is very focused on supporting rapid production methods, aiming to get as many G.55s as possible into the Italian battle group as quickly as possible.

Three prototypes were eventually built, the first of which (the first and second unarmed) took off on April 30, 1942. The third prototype is an invaluable weapons testbed.

While the prototype was being evaluated in an operational environment, the Italian government had already commissioned serial production of the type.

In practice, the G. 55 proved to be a solid airframe capable of taking a lot of punishment and bringing its pilot home. Visibility is said to be excellent thanks to the raised cockpit and roomy canopy, while her engine sets her apart when competing with allies her age. Handling is also reported to be excellent, suitable for an advanced air combat platform, as Italian pilots (as well as Luftwaffe pilots) have great respect for the G.55.

The armament is equally impressive, consisting of an array of powerful cannons and machine guns.

G. 55 first engaged in March 1943 and was deployed with 353 Squadron in the defense of Rome itself. In September 1943, Italy officially surrendered to the advancing Allied forces, with only 16 pre-production G. 55/0 and 15 G series. 55/1 done. Despite Italy's surrender, production continued at the factory under Fascist control, eventually producing a total of 274 Centaurs - many of which are now supplied to the relocated Italian army in the north.

After 1943, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini established the National Republic Air Force (ANR) in fascist-controlled northern Italy to continue Italy's war against the Allies. Despite their presence on this front, the G.55s in service suffered badly from conventional Allied strikes - many G.55s were lost on the ground. The G. 55 was still under fascist control and was used by the "Montefusco" squadron of the Royal Venice. The other three G. 55 squadrons formed the 2 Gruppo Caccia Terrestre.

From 1944 to 1945, the Luftwaffe kept the G.55 high enough to use it in their own ranks. In the hands of capable Germans, the G.55 rivaled even the best Allied fighter jets.

At the beginning of 1944, when the war was still raging, Fiat equipped the G. 55 prototype pair with DB 603A series Daimler-Benz engines under the new name "G. 56". The fuselage was only slightly redesigned, and the fuselage machine gun was dropped to reduce weight and provide more interior space. Despite the improved performance of the new aircraft, it did not enter mass production, mainly due to a shortage of DB 603 series engines during the war.

One of the two G.56s survived the war and was used by Fiat as an evaluation dynamometer.

In postwar Europe, the G. 55 survived only to a limited extent. Fiat recovered about 30 unfinished G. 55s and delivered them to Regia Aeronautica, which is being rebuilt, as well as to the Argentine Air Force. Argentina finally handed over some used G.55As to Egypt in 1948.

These were eventually used against the Israelis in the "War of Independence" in 1948, followed by a battle with the Israeli Air Force Avia 199.

G. 55 Tour

The design of the Fiat G. 55 is one of the most pleasing to the eyes of all the fighter jets that fought in World War II. The type had clean lines and smooth silhouettes that were generally lacking in early Italian wartime fighter designs.

The engine was far ahead of the design in its compartment, a rotating three-blade propeller system. The G. 55 structure is all metal. The rounded wings of the low-wing monoplane are located amidships in front of the cockpit. The cockpit is more or less in the center of the elliptical fuselage, with a raised two-piece canopy, although its frame offers good visibility. Visibility to the sides and front is excellent, but is hindered by the G.55's long nose and raised fuselage spine.

The fuselage tapers to the tail, which uses a single circular vertical tail. The stabilizers are uniformly circular and are mounted on each side of the rear wing, just above the main wing.

The landing gear is fully retractable and consists of two single-wheel main landing gear legs and a tail wheel located under the tail.

G. 55 Weapon

There is a slight difference in gear between the pre-production and production versions of the G. 55. The G. 55/0 is armed with a single serial Mauser 20mm MG 151/20 cannon fired through the propeller hub. The cannon received 250 rounds of ammunition. This was complemented by no less than four 12.7mm Breda SAFAT machine guns (0.50 caliber).

Two are mounted on the upper engine fairing and two are mounted on the lower fairing near the wing root. The machine guns received 300 rounds of ammunition per gun.

The armament of the G. 55/1 is more powerful, consisting of three 20mm Mauser MG 151/20 series cannons and 2 x 12.7mm Breda SAFAT machine guns. As with the G. 55/0, one cannon was fired through the propeller hub, while the other pair sat on the wings. Each cannon receives 200 rounds of ammunition.

Two machine guns were mounted on the upper shroud, each capable of firing 300 rounds. Additionally, the G. 55/I is equipped with up to 2 x 353 lb bombs or fuel tanks for longer range.

Power and Performance

The production phase of the G. 55/1 was powered by a Fiat RA-1050-RC-58 "Tifone" series engine. The powerplant is an overhead, liquid-cooled, inverted in-line V12 engine, which is nothing more than a licensed-build version of the German Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 production engine under the Fiat brand.

Horsepower is listed as an impressive 1,475.

Performance - coupled with an excellent body design - earned the G. 55 a top speed of around 390 mph. It can fly at altitudes of up to 41,000 feet and cover about 745 miles of airspace using internal fuelmore with external fuel tanks mounted under the wings.