Originally posted by CPW
In a little known mission, on August 4, 1944, an Aeritalia test pilot who apparently was an allied spy flew a G.55 across enemy lines. The plane was taken to England and evaluated at the Tangmere test facility. The incident apparently caused the Germans to halt further Aeritalia/Fiat production which ended in September of 1944.
I have never seen any of the test documents but I understand from others who know more about this episode that the Brits were quite impressed (one characterization I heard was "shocked") with it in relation to the Spitfire.
Never heard that the test pilot was a spy!
AFAIK, he was contacted by men of the Regia Aeronautica Cobelligerante, infiltrated in North, and was asked to bring a G.55 in the south (all the G.55 were brought in the north, after the armistice and the factory was in Turin, so none was left in the South), because the Allies wanted one for evaluation. He was asked to bring with him a british captain evaded from a concentration camp... Agostino Serafini (that's the pilot's name), took the british in his lap and flew the plane (the MM 91150) to South Italy, were he surrendered it to the Allies... the plane was brought to Tangmere, but I have never seen anything about the testing... it would be nice to see those charts.. maybe we can ask at the
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/ site, they may have access to them.... or maybe someone else on this board can..... (hint hint!
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The data on that site about speed seems to be correct, I have contacted the webmaster and he told me he has this
Air Enthusiast International, May 1974 he claims to be the most reliable source about the G.55 Serie I... anyway, my sources say 605 km/h at 6.000 m, 620 at 7.000, so the range is that.
Humble, AFAIK, it was a G6... the test was done in February 1943, italians and germans flew each other's planes... that's what written in N.Arena,
Fiat G.55 «Centauro» - Fiat G.59, Mucchi editore, 1994:
«regard the Messerschmitt Me 109/G.6, the G.55 had a longer range, superior ceiling and better stability. The Centauro had a slightly inferior speed than Gustav till 8.000 m, speed that was matched again above that altitude, where the climb rate was higher than that of the german plane, it had a higher payload and a more powerful armament, a sturdier frame. Climb to 6.000 m was just 20'' slower than G.6» (sorry the translation it's probably not perfect, but the data are correct
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