Italian fighter plane FIAT G.55 Centauro COBI 5867 - World War II 1:48

You know that:

• The FIAT Centauro was built in 1939 by the brilliant Italian designer Giuseppe Gabrielli.
• We can think what we like about Italian technology, but the G.55 was a famous, if underrated, aircraft.
• The first flight with pilot Valentin Cuse took place on 30 April 1942 from Turin airport.
• Prior to the start of serial production in 1943, prescribed military tests and comparative trials with the Messerschmitt Bf 109G and Focke-Wolf Fw 190 were carried out with the participation of the Luftwaffe command.
• After the completion of the comparison tests, the German side had to conclude that FIAT was simply better.
• Centauro fighters intervened in the fighting of World War II only briefly until the surrender of Italy in 1943. The FIAT was deployed for its speed and durability to intercept Allied Spitfire, P-51 Mustang and P-38 Lighting aircraft.
• For Allied pilots, a duel with a Fiat was rather rare, but it still earned the respect it deserved.  
• Probably the only weak point identified by the pilots themselves was the dragging of the machine to the left during acceleration at take-off. The problem was solved by permanently rotating the fixed part of the rudder.
• About 274 were produced in a short time and another 75 after the end of World War II.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: wingspan 11.85 m, length 9.37 m, height 3.13 m
• empty weight 2 630 kg
• maximum take-off weight 3 520 kg
• power unit inline 12-cylinder engine Fiat RA. 1050 R.C. 58 Tifone with power 1085 kW
• 3-blade fixed propeller
• 6,000 m climb in 5 minutes and 50 seconds
• top speed 623 km/h
• maximum flight level 12 750 m
• objem palivových nádrží 560 l + 100 l v přídavné interní nádrži
• range 1 200 km
• main armament 3x Mauser MG 151/20 cannon of 20 mm calibre + 2x Breda-Safat MG machine gun of 12,7 mm calibre
• additional armament 2x 160 kg air bomb
• Crew 1

From the memoirs of 398th Bombardment Group pilot David C. Lustig:

"The Italians had a great plane. The encounter with the Centaur was always very unpleasant, but the pilots didn't really want to fight. It made a big difference to the German pilots' stubbornness. We called the Italians the best enemy."