5 Reasons Why Germany Wanted This Italian Plane

The Fiat G.55 Centauro was a single-engine Italian fighter. It was a fascinating aircraft that held a lot of promise. Here are five interesting reasons why Germany wanted this Italian plane:

1. It was one of the three Serie 5 fighters

The other two are the Macchi C.205 Veltro and the Reggiane Re.2005 “Sagittario.” All three aircraft have been dubbed the best Italian fighter of the war.

2. It was powered by the Fiat RA.1050 Tifone engine

This was a licensed Italian version of the German Daimler-Benz DB 605, which contributed significantly to their high quality. The DB605 was used on the Bf-109 G and K variants.

3. Oberst Petersen, the German test commission’s leader, went too far in saying that the G.55 was the best fighter on the Axis, and Germany decided to produce this fighter

In February 1943, a German test commission was sent to Italy to compare the performance of the Italian Serie 5 fighters to that of the BF-109 and the Focke-Wulf FW 190.

The G.55, along with the Re.2005, was rated excellent. However, the Re.2005 was too complicated to mass produce so the Germans concentrated on the G.55.

4. Prominent German figures were in awe of the aircraft

One of them was the famous German engineer known for developing the Focke-Wulf FW 190, Kurt Tank. Despite recognizing the Italian fighter’s strengths, Tank saw a flaw in the G.55, which required up to 15,000 man-hours to produce.

5. When in combat, the Italian fighter performed admirably even against tough opponents

It went head-to-head with iconic aircraft such as the P-51, P-47, and Spitfire. The G.55 was equipped with three 20 mm cannons and two 12.7 mm machine guns. This armament was more than capable of shooting down heavy bombers, and when combined with a large amount of ammo that it could carry, it made it a very dangerous foe.

It also had a service ceiling of 12,750 m, which was higher than most Axis aircraft and comparable to the best American fighters.