G.55 serie 1

G.55 serie 1

G.55 sottoserie 0

Re.2005 serie 0

G.55 serie 1

G.55 sottoserie 0

Re.2005 serie 0

Italy

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.3	5.0	4.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:46 000

Purchase:155 000

This page is about the Italian fighter G.55 serie 1. For other versions, see G.55 (Family).

Description

The G.55 Centauro serie 1 is a rank IV Italian fighter with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB), 5.0 (RB), and 4.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica".

General info

Flight performance

Adequate. This is the word that comes to mind when referring to the flight characteristics of the G.55. While not particularly good at anything, it isn't particularly bad at anything either, which makes it a solid jack-of-all-trades type plane. Overall, it is a smooth flyer that has decent acceleration, speed and climb rate while sporting a powerful triad of MG 151's which load the feared minengeschoß round that can tear through planes like a hot knife through butter. It excels the most in medium altitude (3-5 km) as a powerful energy-based dogfighter which can take advantage of its great engine power to defeat most allied fighters it comes across.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,500 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	623	607	10000	20.9	21.6	13.5	13.5	300
Upgraded	670	646		19.1	20.0	20.7	16.7

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
840	260	460	460	260	~11	~5

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 400	< 420	< 450	> 715

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
5,700 m	1,260 hp	1,399 hp

Survivability and armour

• 8 mm Steel - Pilot's seat
• 50 mm Bulletproof glass - Armored windscreen
• Critical components located at the front of aircraft (pilot, engine, controls)
• Fuel tanks located in wings
• Fuel tank in the fuselage behind the pilot

Armaments

Offensive armament

The G.55 serie 1 is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, nose-mounted (250 rpg)
• 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, wing-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)

The two cannons are mounted in each wing. A single 20 mm cannon is mounted in the nose of the aircraft, firing through the propeller hub. The two machine guns are nose-mounted, positioned between the pilot and the engine of the aircraft. If fired continuously, the wing-mounted cannons will run out of ammunition before the nose-mounted cannon.

Do not use the Breda HMG's as a source of damage, as they have very poor ballistics beyond 300 meters. The pilot should use them as scouting weapons in order to line-up shots for the MG 151's to save ammunition, which isn't necessarily needed as the 151's have a large pool of ammunition, but it does help when trying to play more conservatively.

Suspended armament

The G.55 serie 1 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 50 kg GP 50 bombs (100 kg total)
• 2 x 100 kg GP 100 bombs (200 kg total)

Usage in battles

The G.55's main strong points come down to its engine power, its light construction and its wing profile, which grant it a high sustained rate of climb, a tight turning circle and the power output to endure sustained horizontal manoeuvring. It performs best up to medium altitudes around 5,000 m (16,404 feet), after which it is generally outperformed by its competition. unfortunately, its light construction and its wing profile mean that when the Centauro goes into the vertical, it bleeds speed very easily. Its top speed in a dive is unimpressive and it can barely catch up in a zoom climb with its competitors. The armament is very effective as well, however, the MG 151 is not very accurate at range, which should be taken into account when engaging in head-on passes.

You should primarily enforce an energy fighting flying style to take advantage of the aircraft's descent energy retention and solid manoeuvrability, and also to try to cover the Centauro's weakness of mediocre speed. Try to stay above your enemy, but take care to recognize the threat your attacker poses by observing the plane they are flying.

Specific enemies worth noting

• Spitfire F Mk IX and Spitfire F Mk XIVe. These two Spitfire's are some of the most common enemies you will face, and accordingly, some of the most dangerous. The Mk IX has decent speed, amazing climb rate and a turn rate that'll embarrass zeroes, and the XIVe has excellent speed and acceleration, great energy retention and solid performance at high altitude. You should never engage a Spitfire in a turn-fight, so focus on Boom-&-Zoom to use your powerful armament to shred through their weak airframes.
• P-51D-30. The P-51D-30 is another enemy you should take note of. It is arguably one of the best 4.7/5.0 aircraft thanks to its excellent speed, great climb rate, relatively powerful armament and solid high-speed manoeuvrability due to its Laminar flow wings. The Packard V-1650 is basically a Merlin engine tuned for high altitude, and it can propel the D-30 to speeds the G.55 can only dream of. However, the D-30 has extremely poor manoeuvrability at low speeds due to the same Laminar flow wings that allow it to turn well at high speeds, so if you cannot engage one with an energy advantage you can turn-fight it.
• Yak-3P. The feared red Russian menace is an extremely dangerous opponent that can engage you on a more than even footing. It turns extremely well and has a solid climb rate while also sporting a relatively powerful set of 3 B-20 cannons, but its performance suffers above 3,000 m where its already mediocre speed becomes crippling. As long as you take care to not turn fight one and engage it above 4,000 m, it is not a threat.
• Late Bf 109's. While you cannot face one in realistic battles, arcade battles pose this threat. The G-2 and G-6 outclass you in every way, shape and form. Under no circumstances are you to engage these opponents, and if one forces a fight on you, seek assistance from teammates.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm	MCGP50
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 12 mm MGs
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 20 mm	MCSAP100
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 20 mm cannons

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good climb rate
• Exceptional low and mid-altitude performance
• Relatively robust airframe
• Good turn and roll rate
• Effective armament with a large ammunition pool
• Multi-role fighter which can carry bombs

Cons:

• Lack of armour means the pilot is more prone to being knocked out in a head-on pass
• Engine overheats quickly on WEP
• Roll and yaw are limited at high speeds
• Metal beams on canopy window obstruct the first-person view
• Very expensive repair cost for its rank

History

The Fiat G. 55 Serie 1 (G.55/1) was the first production aircraft series of the Fiat G.55 family. The aircraft’s origins can be traced to a variant of the Fiat G. 50, to be powered by a new Fiat RA. 1050 inline engine (a license-built variant of the DB-605). The first G.55 Prototype flew on 30 April 1942, immediately exhibiting it’s great flight performance and handling characteristics. Though initially equipped with a 20mm MG151/20 cannon and four Breda SAFAT Machine guns, the design was revised to include two additional cannons replacing two of the wing-mounted machine guns. This armament scheme became the standard for G.55/1 aircraft, though some had field-modified wing machine guns instead of the cannons.

The aircraft was test flown against its rivals, the C. 205 and Re. 2005. Of the three, the G. 55 exhibited the second best characteristics. As a result, it and the C. 205 were both ordered into mass production, with 1800 G.55 aircraft ordered. The first 34 pre-production aircraft were completed identical to the prototype, and later modified to Serie 1 standard, with underwing racks for a single 50kg or 100kg bomb. The aircraft’s strong high-altitude performance and adequate armament made it well-suited for the bomber interception role it was meant to fulfill, as the Italians intended it to be used against American heavy bombers such as the B-17 and B-24.

The first G.55/1 aircraft began deliveries in summer of 1943, and soon began flying sorties against American bombers. However, the aircraft’s complicated construction process meant that only 35 aircraft had been delivered before the Italian Armistice in September of that year. However, several G.55/1s went on to serve with the Northern Italian air force, still loyal to the Nazis. These aircraft served until late 1944, when they were replaced by later variants of the Bf 109.

In early 1942, the German and Italian air forces exchanged officers for visits to their respective aircraft production lines, to investigate ways to standardize axis aircraft production. In particular, the Germans were interested in the G.55 and it’s counterparts - so interested that it attracted the attention of Hermann Göring. After various flight tests, the German Air Ministry decided that the G.55 was an excellent fighter and started setting up a production line in Germany as well. As a result, various G.55 variants were produced in Germany. However, due to the relatively short production run before the Armistice, only 35 G.55/1 aircraft were built.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• G.55 (Family): vehicles of the same family

External links

• [Vehicle Profile] Fiat G.55 serie 1

Fiat Aviation (Fiat Aviazione)
Fighters	CR.32 · CR.32 bis · CR.32 quater
	CR.42 · Marcolin's C.R.42 CN · ▀Marcolin's C.R.42 CN
	G.50 serie 2 · G.50 AS serie 7
	G.55 sottoserie 0 · G.55 serie 1 · G.55S
	G.56
Jet fighters	G.91 pre-serie · G.91 R/1 · G.91 Y · G.91 YS
	▄F-86K*
	▄F-104G* · F-104S* · F-104S.ASA* · ▄F-104S TAF*
Strike aircraft	F.C.20 Bis
Bombers	B.R.20DR · B.R.20M M1
Export/Captured	J11 · ▀CR.42
	▀G.50 serie 2 · ▀G.50 AS serie 7
	◄G.91 R/3 · ◄G.91 R/4 · G.91 R/4
	*Licensed
See also	North American Aviation · Lockheed Martin