ANSALDO A.1 BALILLA

The Ansaldo A.1 Balilla was an Italian mixed biplane fighter with a fixed undercarriage. The drive was provided by a single engine SPA-6A with a power of 220 hp. The flight of the prototype took place in 1917, and in 1918 serial production began in Italy, which ended with the production of about 250 copies of this aircraft. The armament was two 7.7 mm Vickers machine guns. A.1 Balilla was created as a private betting initiative Ansaldo. The new design was based on the solutions used in the Ansaldo SVA-5 aircraft. However, it had a different stiffening system for the airfoils, different sizes and a slightly different shape of the hull. It was also made to a greater extent of wooden elements. From March 1918, airplanes of this type went to Italian aviation units, where they were assessed positively. However, problems with mass production prevented larger deliveries before the end of the war. After 1918, 35 ready copies were purchased by Poland, and in the years 1920-1924, license production of this machine was carried out in the Lublin plant. The last aircraft of this type were withdrawn from Polish units by 1927.