Fiat G.50 Freccia (Arrow) Fighter Aircraft (1938)
The Fiat G.50 Freccia was initially tested on the combat grounds that was the Spanish Civil War.
Design of the G.50 began as soon as 1935 to which the prototype was made available for first flight two years later on February 26th. Despite the aircraft's relatively modern design, it did not prove to be a substantial leap when compared to other previous modern Italian attempts. Despite this, the aircraft was well accepted for her speed and maneuverability and put into production. In its early form as with an enclosed cockpit, the G.50 received its baptism of fire as part of the Italian involvement in the Spanish Civil War. The aircraft - at least by 1938 standards - proved a worthy success and became a mainstay of the modern Italian Air Force, or Regia Aeronautica. Pilot reaction to the aircraft was generally good, though the Italian flyboys were not as fond of her greenhouse framed canopy. As such, the follow-up production models were actually built with an open-air cockpit instead - effectively advancing Italian aviation by a two steps forward, one step back philosophy.
Design-wise, the G.50 was a standard low-wing monoplane with rounded edges, a smooth yet stout-looking fuselage and a conventional empennage. The radial engine was housed in a characteristically Fiat cowl, sporting a three-bladed propeller and conical spinner. Wings were positioned just below and ahead of the cockpit position. The canopy featured a framed forward section and a "razorback" style rear section, integrating into the tail section. The main gear systems of the undercarriage were fully retractable while the tail wheel was not.
The G.50 was pressed into further combat in the coming years, playing a limited role in the Battle of Britain though it saw considerably more action in the skies over North Africa. Finland received at least 35 of the aircraft via export and used them to good effect in the Soviet invasion of the country from 1939 through 1944. By 1944, however, the G.50 had far surpassed its pinnacle and was becoming wholly inadequate against the later Allied and Soviet fighters. Part shortages and the fall of Italy all contributed to the aircraft's fall from any type of grace it had achieved just years earlier.
Compared with her contemporaries, the G.50 lacked firepower to a degree, being armed with two synchronized 12.7mm heavy caliber machine guns provided for by Breda-SAFAT. Beyond this arrangement, the G.50 carried no other armament. Power for the Freccia came in the form of the single Fiat A.74 RC38 series radial engine, delivering upwards of 838 horsepower. Performance specifications were adequate, sporting a top speed of 301 miles per hour, a range of 418 miles and a service ceiling of 32,258 feet. A rate-of-climb of 44.9 feet per second was also reported.
A handful of variants existed beginning with the base G.50 production model. The G.50 bis followed with improved range and was produced to the tune of 421 examples. The G.50ter was a single example model featuring the Fiat A.76 engine of 1,000 horsepower. Similarly, the G.50V existed in a single form, this one being fitted with a German Daimler-Benz DB 601 series engine. A prototype two-seat fighter-bomber was produced as the G.50bis A/N. The G.50B would have been the designation afforded to a two-seat trainer model of the base G.50. Experimentation with the Daimler-Benz DB 601-powered G.50 led to the development of the off-shoot G.55 fighter series fitted with DB 605 engines.
Operators of the aircraft included Germany and Italy along with Croatia, Finland, Spain and Yugoslavia. The G.50 was the design brainchild of Italian engineer Giuseppe Gabrielli. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Fiat G.50 Freccia (Arrow)
Fighter Aircraft
Country of Origin: Italy
Manufacturer: Fiat - Italy
Initial Year of Service: 1938
Production: 791
Focus Model: Fiat G.50 Freccia (Arrow)
Crew: 1
Length: 25.56ft (7.79m)
Width: 35.96ft (10.96m)
Height: 9.71ft (2.96m)
Weight (Empty): 4,354lbs (1,975kg)
Weight (MTOW): 5,324lbs (2,415kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Fiat A.74 RC38 14-cylinder radial piston engine delivering 838hp.
Maximum Speed: 293mph (472kmh; 255kts)
Maximum Range: 416miles (670km)
Service Ceiling: 32,267ft (9,835m; 6.1miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 0 feet per minute (0m/min)
Hardpoints: 0
Armament Suite:
2 x 12.7mm synchronized Breda-SAFAT machine guns
Variants:
G.50 - Initial Production Model Designation.
G.50bis - "Improved" G.50 model with increased operational range; 421 examples produced.
G.50ter - Single Production Example fitted with Fiat A.76 series engine of 1,000 horsepower.
G.50V - Single Prduction Model Example fitted with Daimler-Benz DB 601 series engine.
G.50bis A/N - Single Example Prototype Model of two-seat bomber variant.
G.50B - Two-Seat Conversion Trainer
Operators: Croatia; Finland; Nazi Germany; Italy; Spain; Yugoslavia
BY DECADE:
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• 2020 to 2029
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Aircraft
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
• Attack Helicopters
• Bomber Aircraft
• Medium Bombers
• Heavy Bombers
• Close-Air Support (CAS)
• Commercial Aircraft
• Dive Bombers
• Electronic Warfare Aircraft (EWA)
• Experimental / X-Planes
• Fighter Aircraft
• Floatplane Aircraft
• Flying Boat Aircraft
• Aerial Refueling Tankers
• Helicopters (ALL)
• Interceptor Aircraft
• Multi-Role Aircraft
• Navy Carrier Aircraft
• Night Fighters
• Reconnaissance / Scout
• Search & Rescue (SAR)
• Scout Helicopters
• Special Purpose
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Transport Helicopters
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
• Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs)
COLLECTIONS:
• 4th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• 5th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• US X-Planes
• Classic US Warbirds
• French Military Helicopters
• Grumman "Cats"
• Howard Hughes Aircraft
• Indian Air Force
• Israeli Air Force
• Libyan Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Fighters
• Modern Military Aircraft
• Modern North Korean Aircraft
• Modern Trainer Aircraft
• Modern US Aircraft
• Mikoyan Aircraft
• Sukhoi Aircraft
• Syrian Aircraft
• Top 10 Fighter Aircraft of All Time
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT:
• Arab-Israeli War (1948)
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1959-1962)
• Falklands War (1982)
• Indo-Pak War (1965, 1971)
• Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
• Lebanon War (1982)
• Operation Allied Force (1999)
• Operation Desert Storm (1991)
• Six Day War (1967)
• Spanish Civil War (1936)
• Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
• Yom Kippur War (1973)
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Aircraft Cockpits
• Aircraft Manufacturers List
• Aircraft Timeline
WORLD WAR 2:
• 1939 Aircraft
• 1940 Aircraft
• 1941 Aircraft
• 1942 Aircraft
• 1943 Aircraft
• 1944 Aircraft
• 1945 Aircraft
• 1946 Aircraft
• Australian Aircraft
• Battle of Britain Aircraft
• Bombers
• Four-Engine Bombers
• British Aircraft
• British Bombers
• British Transports
• Dive Bombers
• Canadian Aircraft
• Fighters
• Chinese Aircraft
• French Aircraft
• German Aircraft
• German Fighters
• German Flying Boats
• German Jets
• Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
• Italian Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Fighters
• Mitsubishi Bombers
• Navy Aircraft
• Pearl Harbor
• Polish Aircraft
• Romanian Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Navy Aircraft
• Soviet Aircraft
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Tuskegee Airmen Aircraft
• W.A.S.P. Aircraft
• WW2 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• 1914 Aircraft
• 1915 Aircraft
• 1916 Aircraft
• 1917 Aircraft
• 1918 Aircraft
• Aircraft Timeline
• Austro-Hungarian Aircraft
• Bomber Aircraft
• British Aircraft
• Fighters
• Flying Boats
• French Aircraft
• Imperial German Aircraft
• Italian Aircraft
• Scout Aircraft
• Russian Empire Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• WW1 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Australian Aircraft
• Korean War Aces
• Korean War Jets
• North Korean Aircraft
• US Military Aircraft
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
• Helicopters
• North Vietnam Air Force
• US Airpower
• VIEW ALL
COLD WAR:
• 1950s French Aircraft
• British V-Bombers
• Cold War Bombers
• Soviet Aircraft
• Soviet Bombers
• Soviet Interceptors
• Soviet Helicopters
• Strategic Air Command
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Interceptors
• VIEW ALL
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
