027 FIAT G.55 A CENTAURO 'REAF 48'

The FIAT G.55 Centauro is an Italian fighter with an all-metal, low-wing, shell structure from the end of World War II. The flight of the prototype took place on April 30, 1942. In 1943, the plane entered the line. The drive was a Fiat RA 1050 Tifone engine with 1475HP. During the war, 274 G.55 machines were built. Their main task was to counter the Allied strategic bombers that threatened Italian factories in northern Italy. Unfortunately, due to the destruction of FIAT plants, production was stopped and the G.55 was replaced by the imported Messerschmitt Me-109. Interestingly, Italian pilots were reluctant to see the G.55 as a much better aircraft than the Me-109. After the end of the war, the FIAT factories started the production of the improved version-G.55A and the training version G.55B. They were exported to Egypt, Argentina and served in the Italian aviation. Technical data: Maximum speed: 623 km / h, rate of climb: 13 m / s, maximum ceiling 12 750 m, maximum range (with overhead tanks): 1650 km, armament: fixed - 3 MG151 / 20 20mm cannons and 2 rifles machine gun Breda-SAFAT cal. 12.7 mm, suspended - up to 320 kg of bombs.