Italy Air Force Fiat G55 Cantauro

The Fiat G55 Centauro was a single engine, single seat Italian fighter plane which took part in the Italian Campaign between 1943 and 1945.  It was designed by Italian Guiseppe Gabrielli and manufactured by Fiat Aviazione but coming so late into the conflict only about 275 were made before the end of the war. However, it was robust, fast and powerful and proved itself as an excellent interceptor plane at high altitudes where it was quite a match for Allied aircraft.  It was flown primarily by the Regia Aeronautica and the Aeronautica Nazionale Republicana (ANR). The first unit in the ANR to be equipped with the G55 was the Montefusco Squadra in November 1943, operating until March 1944 in Piedmonte. The Bonet connection was a commemorative act by the Squadra in memory of their Commander, Captain Giovanni who was shot down and killed during a furious battle with Allied aircraft, notably the USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in the spring of 1944.

The 1:72 Oxford replica of the G55 is from this time, decorated in the dark green and earth brown camouflage colours with light grey underside. The Italian national flag features on both sides of the fuselage and tail fins. The fuselage also sees the Squadra insignia ‘Cantauro Serie 1 MM 91147 printed on both sides  in blue and yellow.  One unusual detail comprises the black and white squares containing the fasces (bundle) on both the upper and underside of the wings. This is an Italian symbolic ‘bundle’ which goes back to Roman times, representing wooden rods tied together with an axe in the middle.  The ANR carried on this tradition, putting the feature on their G55 aircraft during WWII. The propeller spinner is also black and white; the blades are black with yellow tips. Exhausts pipes are rusty brown and the pitot tubes silver.

The Fiat G55 was such an effective little aircraft that it caught the attention of the German Luftwaffe who had captured examples for evaluation in Germany.  They went on to manufacture some G55s but it was late in the day for them and production was small. However, later Italian production echoed the German influence.