The Breda Ba.64 was a short-lived ground attack platform fielded primarily by the Regia Aeronautica of Italy prior to and during the early years of World War 2 (1939-1945). Developed from the outset as a multirole fighter-bomber, the series saw specific use as a limited ground attack airframe for the duration of her career. The type was utilized in small numbers and production totals managed to exceed just 40 units. Despite its service introduction in 1937, the Ba.64 was formally given up for good by 1939 - though it persisted a while longer before Italy's final collapse in 1943.
With experience in having developed the Ba.27, Breda designed the Ba.64 as a similar low-wing monoplane fighter, the engine powering a similar three-bladed propeller arrangement and the cockpit seated well forward in the design as before. To cover the broad Regia Aeronautica requirement, Breda progressed with two distinct prototype forms - a single-seat fighter and a slightly revised two-seat bomber form with elongated cockpit area, both intending to fit machine gun armament with the latter completed with provisions for bombs. The powerplant of choice became the British-originated Bristol Pegasus of 700 horsepower fitted to a forward compartment. Design work progressed throughout 1933 and into 1934.
Initial prototype forms were made ready in 1934 with first flight achieved that year. The evaluation did not prove the design promising - generally underpowered and not wholly fast. Despite the showing, the Italian government ordered the type into production in its single-seat fighter form. After several examples of this type had emerged, it was then settled on a hybrid version of the two Breda prototypes- this set to include the undercarriage of the fighter prototype with the two-seat cockpit of the bomber prototype. All production forms were given the locally-produced Alfa Romeo 125C radial piston engine of 650 horsepower output. These powerplants were, in fact, developed from the British Bristol Pegasus and went on to power several Italian aircraft designs of the period. All preceding single-seat examples were eventually standardized to the two-seat bomber form. Production began in 1935 and spanned into 1936 to which only 42 examples were completed. The Breda Ba.64 was formally introduced into Regia Aeronautica service in 1937.
With its crew of two seated in tandem under a heavily framed cockpit, the Ba.64 airframe exhibited a fuselage length of 31.8 feet with a wingspan measuring nearly 40 feet. The system was cleared with a maximum take-off weight reaching 6,690lbs and some 1,200lbs of bombs could be carried aloft. Fixed offense and defense was through a pair of 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT heavy machine guns and up to three 7.7mm Breda-SAFAT medium-class aerial machine guns - one fitted to the rear cockpit to protect the aircraft's vulnerable "six". Power was served through a single Alfa Romeo 125 RC.35 series radial piston engine outputting at 650 horsepower and supplying the airframe with a top speed of 217 miles per hour, a maximum service range of 560 miles and a service ceiling of up to 23,000 feet. The Ba.64 was more or less comparable to the German Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" in both form and function, though the German development saw considerably more early-war success than the Italian Ba.64, being produced in over 6,500 examples after its 1936 introduction into service.
From the beginning, the Ba.64 showed itself an outmoded and outdated design initiative compared to her contemporaries elsewhere in the world. The type still proved slow and heavy at the controls and there was little to recommend the aircraft for true frontline service - its fighter prowess eventually given up for a traditionally bomber-minded, ground attack role instead. The airframe was tricky to fly and required an experienced cool hand at the controls - green pilots were known to have been permanently weeded out by accidents and the like. Therefore, the Ba.64, already limited by its low production total, led a short frontline service life with the Italian Air Force which had moved on to the improved Breda Ba.65 - a similar-minded, low-wing monoplane debuting in 1936 and exhibited more inherent power. 218 of this type were eventually produced. This left the existing Ba.64 to languish as a second-line performer for the rest of her days. It saw little foreign interest and was formally retired by the Regia Aeronautica in 1939. Despite this, shortage of much-needed aircraft for the Italian Air Force persisted, leaving a few Ba.64 mounts in active circulation as late as 1943. In September of that year, Italy as an Axis foe had surrendered.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
✓Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
Length
31.9 ft (9.72 m)
Width/Span
39.7 ft (12.10 m)
Height
10.3 ft (3.14 m)
Empty Wgt
4,475 lb (2,030 kg)
MTOW
6,689 lb (3,034 kg)
Wgt Diff
+2,213 lb (+1,004 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Breda Ba.64 production variant)
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Breda Ba.64 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
STANDARD:
2 x 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT heavy machine guns in wings.
2 x 7.7mm Breda-SAFAT general purpose machine gunsin wings.
1 x 7.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun on trainable mount in rear cockpit.
OPTIONAL:
Up to 1,200lbs of munitions.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 2
Ba.64 - Base Series Designation
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
Images Gallery
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Front left side view of the Breda Ba.64 aircraft at rest
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Rear left side view of the Breda Ba.64 aircraft at rest
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Kingdom of Italy; Spain; Soviet Union; Uruguay
