Originally posted by Krusty
We won't get it. Only about 50 were made, most if not all of those sat in a factory after the switch. It's doubtful even a handful ever saw action, from what I've read. It just wasn't developed in time.
From several G.55 sites and references.... think they all quote the same book:
"Around 130 Centauro were produced, most of them seeing service with the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana in northern Italy"
"The Germans were very interested in producing the G.55 for themselves but the labor cost and manpower hours was too great. A Fiat G.55 took 9,000 man hours to produce where it only took 5,000 man hours to produce a Me 109."
The G.55 was a redesigned G.50 Freccia (1937 production, about 780 produced, and one of best fighters in Spanish Civil War, also exported to Finland), which we also do not have in the game.
So, only 130 built..... only about 415 N1K2-J Shiden-KAI "Georges" were produced, including all versions and the prototype, IIRC, and we see how prolific they are in the war arenas. 1,435 total produced N1K2-J Shiden-KAI, N1K1-J Shiden, N1K1 Kyofu floatplanes, and N1K 3 through 5's.
The G.55 was superior to the Me 109's, just too labor intensive to build in quantities, then their plant was bombed.
In it's favor, probably the best Italian plane built (was built and exported after the war as well), was a good bomber interceptor, and gives the game's German-plane pilots a treat .... probably for a small perk cost.
And it's not another 190 or 109 version, where as the G10 would be. I suggest it for variety in response to the original thread.