G.55 Centauro Lobbying Thread

[FrodeMk3]

Humble...We're saying alot about the G.55...But, with the same motor(DB605A) as the later 109's, on an airframe as light, plus with all the same hvy armament, what exactly is a G.55 gonna turn like? Is it going to have the same torque characteristics? Is it gonna vert like a 109G-10 or K-4?

I would ask HTC, Pyro and gang, what kind of flight envelope it's going to have.

[Krusty]

That's up to them to decide. However, the G.55 has larger wings (better high alt performance) and larger vertical stab than the 109s (less torque effects) and just as effective a rudder and elevator set. It had not only a nose gun, but internal wing guns (no -25mph drag from gondolas!!!) and far more ammo (750 rounds 20mm, and I'm guessing 800+ rounds 12.7mm) than contemporary LW planes. Most LW planes have 150 rounds 20mm internal. Even with just a nose gun, the G.55 would have 250 rounds for the same gun setup.

It has a marked improvement in punch and stopping power, IMO, coupled with better high alt performance, this would probably translate to much better turning capabilities.

Probably. I don't know for sure.

I don't think it would fly like a 109 any more than our current C2 flies like a 109. I think it would have its own "feel" in flight.

Consider that the F6F and F4u have comparable performance specs, but have totally different "feels" when you fly them in-game. I think this plane (if added) would be unique in how it flies.

[Krusty]

Eye candy








Fiat G-55 Series I, 1º Gruppo Caccia, of 1ª Squadriglia, at Reggio-Emilia, in June of 1944





Last one is a pic of an old Revell model kit. I put it there to show the interesting/odd angle of the wings. Similar to the He100D, where it has a flat central spar and then upward dihedral after that. Also it shows the DTs

[Krusty]

SA-WEET!!!!!

Total walkaround of a G.55 in restoration. There are none that survived the war. They're taking a post-war version and reverting it (it had a different engine and a 4-bladed prop, but the rest was identical).

Page after page of walk-around detail!! HERE!!!!

[1K3]

Along with G.55, can we have Reggiane Re.2005?  This is the Axis Spitfire:t

[Willfly]

I myself admire the G.55 but lets get some proof of it, I've done my part in providing information about the Plane and actually found the oh-so popular Brewster to be MEDIOCRE , get some links on some of these threads spread information, not just the sweet chant 'SUPPORT THE G.55!' It's the only way we can get the G.55 mates, get some links and information out to other threads.


EDIT: Get information to other  threads, plus, good work on getting the information...so far

[Krusty]

Gee, I dunno.. posting the specs, debating the armament loadout, discussion the number that served in relation to the entirety of the IT air force, and clarifying how much action and how much of an impact it made, might be considered "support".

EDIT: Oh, and discussing performace, differences between this and 109s, and some debate about the flight modeling, which we've also done.

And, if you read the first 3 pages, we've done all of that, already

[Ball]

Originally posted by humble
typical response from a 40 watt bulb. Easy to take it out of context.

LOL

in your exact words...

Originally posted by humble
Actually the G55 was the single most important fighter of the entire war....

dont want me to reply to such BS?

dont post it...

because, that is absolute bull ****.

[Krusty]

I'd have to disagree with Humble's comment. I would think it was not an important fighter in the war. No more than the C.202 or C.205. Not important, in the grand scheme of things I mean.

Certainly not as important as the 109, spitfire, p-51.

But to the Italians, it was considered the best of the best.

Now, in a what-if situation, it could have become very important, indeed even the LW's frontline plane. But that never was the case, and with the beuracracy of the RLM it would never have happened.

[Gianlupo]

Ah, luckily you posted again, Ball, so I have not to go back...

Yes, Humble exaggerated a bit, but it was right in one thing:

By Mid 1942 many elements of the luftwaffe felt that the 109 had reached its development apex and that the 190 was lacking as a pure fighter. German pilots had been very impressed with both the 205 and the G55. The luftwaffe flew combat trials and actually recommended that the G.55 replace the 109 in german production. The G.55 was much more intricate and required more then double the man hours to produce. That combined with political realities scuttled the proposal....

RLM did start a "Centauro project" for the mass production of G.55 in Italy and in Germany. The RLM was impressed by the capabilities of the plane and its possible evolution, so impressed that they sent 3 DB603 in Italy to be mounted on 3 G.55 of the 0 series (the preproduction series). 1 of them was completed and transferred to Reichlin, the experimental center of LW... they really wanted to produce the G.55, 'cause they did recognize its full potential.

As for the confrontation with 109, Frode, the Centauro was a bit slower than the Gustav, but more stable and more maneuverable. I have some publication about the G.55 and I'm gonna post excerpts here in the forum but they're mostly in italian, so I need to translate them, it'll take me a while So we can make happy even our friend Willfly (btw, Krusty, this one ---> is one of them! )

Ike, it would be nice to have the Re.2005, too, but it was really built in too few number and served in 1 squadriglia only (a staffel, in LW terms... only 12 operational, really too few...), it'll never make it in AH.. but if you want to download Target Tobruk....

Re.2005


G.55

[Krusty]

You just had to post that, didn't you? Now I need to mop up this drool...

Is that book any good? I can't tell from the image if it's a decent book or just one of those paper-back pamphlet-style books.

[Gianlupo]

Not the best source you can find around... a honest paperback

I wanted to show 1K3 the Re.2005, can't find the picture in TT forum, maybe they have removed it now... but the Centauro was there...

[Krusty]

Funny how they keep spending years and years to add new aircraft without filling in the major gaps first, or without updating the obsolete flight engine. Is it still on 0.64?

Anyways, The Re2005 is in the game, but the wing guns are gondolas, which add drag, and the ammo count is very low (120 for the nose, less for the gondolas, I think).

That game doesn't do any airframe justice, so I'll hold back any comments about how it flies in TT.


IMO, the 2005 is rather ugly as hell, lmbo! I like the looks of the Re 2000, the radial engined version. THAT had style, and class. Almost looked like an old P-36 Hawk or something.

[Gianlupo]

IIRC it's 0.65, now, and they're waiting for a major update.

Krusty, you're confusing the Re.2005 with the Re.2001. The latter had 2 gondola-mounted MG151/20 in its night fighter configuration, 60 rounds each. The Re.2005 was equipped with 20mm cannons inside the wings, just like the G.55 (don't ask me now how many rounds, I just don't recall it! )

[Krusty]

Oh, sorry then. I remember flying one of them in Target: Tobruk.

Well, enough with the Reggiane! Back to the Fiat!