In the early 1960s, NATO put out a requirement for a supersonic V/STOL fighter-bomber. The requirement, NATO Military Basic Requirement (NMBR) 3, did not specify a technical solution to the problem of V/STOL, just the type of plane (fighter/bomber) and the capabilities (supersonic, VTOL). This wasn't the first NATO sponsored competition; the preceding NMBR-2 gave birth to the G.91, a successful plane in the role for which it was conceived, but the competition itself was not a success, as only Italy and Germany ended up buying it; other NATO members either ignored it or opted for other aircraft instead.
Before the NMBR-3 requirement was published, at FIAT, aircraft designer Giuseppe Gabrielli, was already at work for a G.91 successor; among the features of this aircraft, there was STOL capability. The plane, code named G.95, was similar to the G.91Y (a twin engine version of the G.91), with a pair of auxiliary jets located in the fuselage near the center of gravity and with the nozzles canted 45° downwards, providing both thrust and lift at the same time
When Fiat entered the NMBR-3 competition, Gabrielli altered the design to make it a true VTOL. The fuselage grew wider, the space between the two main engines and air ducts being occupied by four lift engines, two fore and two aft of the center of gravity and with fuel tanks in between them. This concept was code named G.95/3
To make it truly a supersonic design, however, more powerful engines were needed; these took more space, weighted more and, in turn, also the lift jets needed a boost. The result was a long and slender aircraft, with a very noticeable wasp waist and with a total of six lift jets (three fore, three aft) code named G.95-6 but also colloquially known as the 'Flying sausage'.
Neither this nor the other projects for NMBR-3 competition looked very promising. In fact the idea of obtaining a supersonic VTOL for NATO languished: Hawker will eventually build the Harrier, a subsonic design, while Dassault's Mirage IIIV did reach Mach 2 but, with eight lift jet engines, it was a nightmare to maintain, not to mention that the dead weight of these auxiliary engines meant that fuel and weapon load had to be reduced accordingly.
The story was not over for the G.95, because the Italian air force awarded FIAT a contract and funds to study a viable successor to the G.91 with V/STOL characteristics. It would have been a less ambitious plane, capable of only Mach 1.1-1.3 at maximum but still good enough, maybe, to pick the interest in other NATO countries. Gabrielli thus scrapped the design of the G.95-6 and went back to an early design with looked easier to implement, and that would have met all the requirements of the Italian air force: the G.95-4 This plane went back to use 'only' four lift jets, but they were located at the center of the fuselage. To validate the design, FIAT even built a 'flying test bed'
Unfortunately little progress was made after that. Since the idea of a supersonic VTOL was hard to die in certain NATO circles, FIAT then decided to join forces with German Focke Wulf and to work on another design, the VAK 191B, which, at last, was realized in 3 prototypes. Nothing came out of it or, rather, it should be said that the collaboration between FIAT and some German industries paved the way for the creation of an European consortium which realized the Tornado and later yet another European consortium which built the Eurofighter.
PS: Most of the pictures were taken from here: Sixties Superfighters: The Original JSF- the Italian V/STOL FIAT G.95 'Resistenza'
Before the NMBR-3 requirement was published, at FIAT, aircraft designer Giuseppe Gabrielli, was already at work for a G.91 successor; among the features of this aircraft, there was STOL capability. The plane, code named G.95, was similar to the G.91Y (a twin engine version of the G.91), with a pair of auxiliary jets located in the fuselage near the center of gravity and with the nozzles canted 45° downwards, providing both thrust and lift at the same time
When Fiat entered the NMBR-3 competition, Gabrielli altered the design to make it a true VTOL. The fuselage grew wider, the space between the two main engines and air ducts being occupied by four lift engines, two fore and two aft of the center of gravity and with fuel tanks in between them. This concept was code named G.95/3
To make it truly a supersonic design, however, more powerful engines were needed; these took more space, weighted more and, in turn, also the lift jets needed a boost. The result was a long and slender aircraft, with a very noticeable wasp waist and with a total of six lift jets (three fore, three aft) code named G.95-6 but also colloquially known as the 'Flying sausage'.
Neither this nor the other projects for NMBR-3 competition looked very promising. In fact the idea of obtaining a supersonic VTOL for NATO languished: Hawker will eventually build the Harrier, a subsonic design, while Dassault's Mirage IIIV did reach Mach 2 but, with eight lift jet engines, it was a nightmare to maintain, not to mention that the dead weight of these auxiliary engines meant that fuel and weapon load had to be reduced accordingly.
The story was not over for the G.95, because the Italian air force awarded FIAT a contract and funds to study a viable successor to the G.91 with V/STOL characteristics. It would have been a less ambitious plane, capable of only Mach 1.1-1.3 at maximum but still good enough, maybe, to pick the interest in other NATO countries. Gabrielli thus scrapped the design of the G.95-6 and went back to an early design with looked easier to implement, and that would have met all the requirements of the Italian air force: the G.95-4 This plane went back to use 'only' four lift jets, but they were located at the center of the fuselage. To validate the design, FIAT even built a 'flying test bed'
Unfortunately little progress was made after that. Since the idea of a supersonic VTOL was hard to die in certain NATO circles, FIAT then decided to join forces with German Focke Wulf and to work on another design, the VAK 191B, which, at last, was realized in 3 prototypes. Nothing came out of it or, rather, it should be said that the collaboration between FIAT and some German industries paved the way for the creation of an European consortium which realized the Tornado and later yet another European consortium which built the Eurofighter.
PS: Most of the pictures were taken from here: Sixties Superfighters: The Original JSF- the Italian V/STOL FIAT G.95 'Resistenza'
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