Fiat "Centauro" fighter

[ralphwiggum]

How did this plane perform against Mustangs Spitfires Thunderbolts?
It certainly looks like a winner to me I Think it was a good high altitude
fighter

 

[parsifal]

G-55 prior to the 1943 armistice equipped 353 Squadriglia and was used in the defence of rome. Only 31 had been delivered up to that time. After the armistice operations were mainly with the Salo republics Montefusco squadron, (I think it was a squadron) based at Venetia Reale, and later, with the three squadriglia that formed the 2 Gruppo Caccia Terrestre The G-55s losses were heavy, mainly due to the unrelenting attacks undertaken by the Allied TAFs against the airfields in Italy.

I also believe the G-55 was used to equip certain LW units. After the war, production of the G-55 was revived, and units produced used to equip the air forces of italy, Argentina, and Egypt.

The performance and armament of the G-55 was quite good, however, it was always heavily outnumbered, and the Axis pilots that flew it after 1943 were generally inferior to their allied adversaries.

 

[madrebel]

saw this thread while looking for data on another fighter, thought i'd contribute.

these are courtesy of the national air and space museum.

hopefully that will be helpful for some.

and for the only G.56 prototype

 

[Saetta66]

G-55 prior to the 1943 armistice equipped 353 Squadriglia and was used in the defence of rome. Only 31 had been delivered up to that time. After the armistice operations were mainly with the Salo republics Montefusco squadron, (I think it was a squadron) based at Venetia Reale, and later, with the three squadriglia that formed the 2 Gruppo Caccia Terrestre The G-55s losses were heavy, mainly due to the unrelenting attacks undertaken by the Allied TAFs against the airfields in Italy.

I also believe the G-55 was used to equip certain LW units. After the war, production of the G-55 was revived, and units produced used to equip the air forces of italy, Argentina, and Egypt.

The performance and armament of the G-55 was quite good, however, it was always heavily outnumbered, and the Axis pilots that flew it after 1943 were generally inferior to their allied adversaries.

Hi. How can you say that? What is your support?

 

[parsifal]

Hi Saetta

Did not mean or imply any disrespect in making that comment. The basis for my statement was simply the amount of training hours expended to train each new pilot. I am referring to the Germans (and Japanese) when making those statements, I dont have the training hours for new RA pilots.

In 1943, the Luftwaffe reduced the training hours per pilot to under 250 hours, reducing to 150 hours by years end. In 1944, the average hours per new pilot began at 150 hours, and rapidly reduced to about 100 hours. By the end of 1944, Luftwaffe new pilots had reduced to about 50 hours before committment to battle.

New Allied pilots joining squadrons at the beginning of 1943 had on average 350 hours training. By the end of the year this had increased to about 500 hours. After that flying hours pretty much levelled off.

The loss ratios reflect this training differential. Though the Luftwaffe retained a seasoned and dangerous core of experten that caused losses out of all proportion to their numbers, the average Luftwaffe rookie pilots were shot down in ever increasing numbers. Average monthly losses in early 1944 hovered around the 1200 per month mark, this increaseed as the year progressed. At that time there was not a big difference in the numbers of fighters versus fighters, but allied losses were a fraction of those being suffered by the Luftwaffe. In an air to air engagement, the average Luftwaffe pilot stood a poor chance of survival, because he lacked the training and skills needed to survive by that stage of the war.

As I said, I am unsure if this situation applied to the Italian collaborationist air forces. For those units that joined the allies, I also have no data

 

[madrebel]

I also believe the G-55 was used to equip certain LW units. After the war, production of the G-55 was revived, and units produced used to equip the air forces of italy, Argentina, and Egypt.

i have never seen luftwaffe JG unit records indicating G.55s in their inventory. doesnt mean it didnt happen but i hve never seen it. post armistice to the best of my knowledge G.55s were used only by ANR pilots of IIº Gruppo Caccia.

in 43 though JG77 did operate something like 25 Mc.205s and loved the type from what i have read.

Jagdgeschwader 77

scroll down about 3/4 of the way through that page and you'll see the Mc.205s listed.

 

[Saetta66]

Hi Saetta

Did not mean or imply any disrespect in making that comment. The basis for my statement was simply the amount of training hours expended to train each new pilot. I am referring to the Germans (and Japanese) when making those statements, I dont have the training hours for new RA pilots.

In 1943, the Luftwaffe reduced the training hours per pilot to under 250 hours, reducing to 150 hours by years end. In 1944, the average hours per new pilot began at 150 hours, and rapidly reduced to about 100 hours. By the end of 1944, Luftwaffe new pilots had reduced to about 50 hours before committment to battle.

New Allied pilots joining squadrons at the beginning of 1943 had on average 350 hours training. By the end of the year this had increased to about 500 hours. After that flying hours pretty much levelled off.

The loss ratios reflect this training differential. Though the Luftwaffe retained a seasoned and dangerous core of experten that caused losses out of all proportion to their numbers, the average Luftwaffe rookie pilots were shot down in ever increasing numbers. Average monthly losses in early 1944 hovered around the 1200 per month mark, this increaseed as the year progressed. At that time there was not a big difference in the numbers of fighters versus fighters, but allied losses were a fraction of those being suffered by the Luftwaffe. In an air to air engagement, the average Luftwaffe pilot stood a poor chance of survival, because he lacked the training and skills needed to survive by that stage of the war.

As I said, I am unsure if this situation applied to the Italian collaborationist air forces. For those units that joined the allies, I also have no data

Hi Parsifal.
We can do that: as soon as I have some time I will scan and post my father's flying logbook. There is all the pilot and fighter training school days and hours and excercices made by the single pilot.
We'll check togheter, but honestly I don't know by now.
Just a little patience please
Ciao

 

[Saetta66]

i have never seen luftwaffe JG unit records indicating G.55s in their inventory. doesnt mean it didnt happen but i hve never seen it. post armistice to the best of my knowledge G.55s were used only by ANR pilots of IIº Gruppo Caccia.

in 43 though JG77 did operate something like 25 Mc.205s and loved the type from what i have read.

Jagdgeschwader 77

scroll down about 3/4 of the way through that page and you'll see the Mc.205s listed.

You are probably right bit look at the scond plane in lane: looks like it has been used by the LW ....

 

[Saetta66]

You are probably right bit look at the scond plane in lane: looks like it has been used by the LW ....

I correct myself: one hakenkreuz AND A HALF. Look at the same photo now.
Cheers

 

[madrebel]

likely it was a test subject. in 43 germany conducted many trials of italian fighters. they liked the g/55 the most which led to the g.56 prototype.

 

[Saetta66]

I think this could have happen: after 8 september 1943 armistice germans disarmed most italian soldiers as possible and they took control of all the weapons they can.
before the birth of the Repubblica sociale italiana for a while they take mens and weapons like organic partes of the german army.
same happened to the Regia aeronautica stuff.
Then when the fascist republic is born, they have to give back the stuff to the new italian fascist allied.
italian (Regia aer), german (lw) and then italian (ANR) again ...

 

[vikingBerserker]

Very cool find.

 

[Saetta66]

Hi Parsifal.
We can do that: as soon as I have some time I will scan and post my father's flying logbook. There is all the pilot and fighter training school days and hours and excercices made by the single pilot.
We'll check togheter, but honestly I don't know by now.
Just a little patience please
Ciao

A promise is a promise.
here we go:

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/my-fathers-ra-fighter-pilot-flying-logbook-23481.html