The Fiat G.55 Centauro (centaur) was
an all-metal low-wing monoplane single-
seat fighter designed by Giuseppe
Gabrielli, and represented a great improvement
by comparison with the
previous Fiat monoplane fighter to go
into production, the G.50. Great care
was taken to blend an aerodynamically
advanced airframe with a structure
which was robust and would lend itself
to mass production. Its configuration
included fully-retractable landing
gear and a raised cockpit providing an
excellent view. Fast and maneouvrable,
the type proved popular with its
pilots.
The first of three prototypes was
flown on 30 April 1942; the third (MM
493) was the only one to carry armament,
comprising one enginemounted
cannon and four fuselagemounted
machine-guns. It was evaluated
under operational conditions
from March 1943, but by then the Italian
air ministry had already decided
on mass production of the G.55.
However, only 16 G.55/0 preproduction
and 15 G.55/1 initial production
aircraft had been delivered to the
Regia Aeronautica by September
1943, production thereafter being for
the Fascist air arm flying alongside the
Luftwaffe. Before wartime production
ended 274 more were completed and
a further 37 were abandoned at an advanced
construction stage.
Before the armistice of September
1943, G.55s had participated in the defence
of Rome with the 353a Squadriglia
of the Regia Aeronautica. The postarmistice
operations were rnamly with
the Fascist air arm's Squadriglia 'Montefusco',
based at Venezia Reale, then
with the three squadriglie which
formed the 2° Gruppo Caccia Terrestre,
but losses were heavy, as a result
mainly of Allied attacks on the airfields.
While the war was still in progress, Fiat
flew two prototypes of the G.56, which
was developed from the G.55 to accept
the more powerful Daimler-Benz DB
603A engine. Built during the spring of
1944, they incorporated minor structural
changes and had the fuselagemounted
machine-guns deleted. The
first prototype survived the war and
was used subsequently by Fiat as a
test-bed
