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Fiat G.50

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G.50 Freccia
(Finnish markings)
Type Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer Fiat
Maiden flight 26 February 1937
Introduced 1938
Retired 1945
Primary users Regia Aeronautica
Suomen Ilmavoimat
Ejército del Aire
Luftwaffe
Number built 791
Variants Fiat G.55

The FIAT G.50 Freccia (Italian: "Arrow") was an Italian fighter aircraft of World War II. It was the first Italian low-wing monoplane fighter with enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear to go into production (without the enclosed cockpit though, as Italian pilots felt uncomfortable with it). It was also used in small numbers by the Finnish Air Force.

Design and development

The Fiat G.50 was designed by Giuseppe Gabrielli starting from 1935. The prototype first flew on 26 February 1937. The G.50 was the first front line Italian fighter with retractable undercarriage, but despite these improvements, its maximum speed was only 33 km/h faster than its predecessor, the Fiat CR.42. Both types were powered by the 840 hp Fiat A.74 RC38, 14-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine.

In September 1940 a slightly improved version, the G.50 bis, appeared. Its main advantage was the extended combat range.

Operational history

The first operative aircraft were delivered to the Regia Aeronautica in 1938. Extremely maneuverable, it was one of the best fighters during the Spanish Civil War, yet by the time World War II began it was considered to be underpowered and underarmed. About 780 were built, 35 of which were exported to Finland.

There were 118 G.50s available when Italy entered World War II, most assigned to the 51° Stormo and part of the 52°. 48 aircraft saw limited action during the Battle of Britain as part of the Corpo Aereo Italiano based in Belgium, but their use was hampered by their short range. The remaining aircraft saw action in North Africa and the Mediterranean. Appreciated mainly for their strength, they were used primarily for attack roles in the second half of the war. By the time of the Italian Armistice, 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.

The G.50 saw its longest and most successful operations in the two Finnish wars, the Winter War 1939-1940 and the Continuation War 1941-1944 against the Soviet Union. They arrived too late to affect the course of the winter battles of 1940, but 13 aerial victories were achieved, with Captain O. Ehrnrooth, Lieutenant O. Puhakka and Sergeant L. Aaltonen being the most successful Fiat pilots with two victories each.[1]

During the Continuation War, the Fiat fighters were most successful during the Finnish offensive of 1941, after that they became increasingly less effective.[2] 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. In 1941 the FIAT squadron, LLv 26, claimed 52 victories against the loss of only two fighters. The most successful Fiat G.50 fighter pilots were O. Tuominen (23 victories with G.50s), O. Puhakka (11), N. Trontti (six), O. Paronen (four), U. Nieminen (four) and L. Lautamäki (four).[3] The Finnish Fiats were finally phased out of front line duty in summer 1944.

Variants

G.50
First production version.
G.50 bis
Development of the G.50 version with extended range, 421 built.
G.50ter
One aircraft powered by a 1,000-hp (746-kW) Fiat A.76 engine, one built.
G.50V
One aircraft powered by 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

Template:Country data Croatia
Template:FIN
Template:Country data Germany
Template:Country data Italy
Template:Country data Italy Italian Social Republic
Template:Country data Spain
Template:YUG

Survivors

Currently, a G.50 bis is undergoing restoration in the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade, in Surčin, near Belgrade airport.

Specifications (G.50)

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Length: 7.79 m (25 ft 7 in)
  • Wingspan: 10.96 m (35 ft 11 in)
  • Height: 2.96 m (9 ft 9 in)
  • Wing area: 18.2 m² (196 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 1,975 kg (4,354 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 2,706 kg (5,965 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 2,415 kg (5,324 lb)
  • Powerplant:Fiat A.74 RC38 radial engine, 625 kW (838 hp)

Performance

Armament


See also

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Designation sequence
G.30 - G.46 - G.49 - G.50 - G.51 - G.52 - G.55

References

Notes

  1. Keskinen 1977, inside back cover
  2. Finnish Fiat G.50
  3. Keskinen 1977, inside back cover

Bibliography

  • Cattaneo, Gianni. The Fiat G.50 (Aircraft in Profile Number 188). Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1967. No ISBN.
  • Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus. Fiat G.50, Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia 8 (in Finnish). Espoo, Finland: Tietoteos, 1977. ISBN 951-9035-26-5.
  • Malizia, Nicola. Fiat G-50 (Aviolibri Records No. 2) (in Italian/English). Roma-Nomentano, Italy: Istituto Bibliografico Napoleone, 2005. ISBN 88-7565-002-0.
  • Mondey, David. The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. New York: Bounty Books, 1996. ISBN 1-85152-966-7.
  • Taylor, John W. R. "Fiat G.50 Freccia (Arrow)". Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the Present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.
  • Tonizzo, Pietro. Fiat G.50 Freccia (Le Macchine e la Storia 9) (in Italian). Modena, Italy: Editore Stem-Mucchi. No ISBN.
  • Waldis, Paolo. Fiat G 50, Ali e Colori 3 (in Italian/English). Torino, Italy: La Bancarella Aeronautica, 2000.

External links

Template:Fiat aircraft

cs:Fiat G.50 de:Fiat G.50 el:Fiat G.50 fr:Fiat G.50 Freccia gl:Fiat G.50 it:Fiat G.50 ja:G.50 (航空機) no:Fiat G.50 Freccia pl:Fiat G.50 sl:Fiat G.50 Freccia fi:Fiat G.50 sv:Fiat G.50


This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fiat G.50".