FIAT G55 SERIE I
ANR 6 NERO
CFS3 - V4.00.164

This aircraft was built by SARGE using version 4.00.164 of the AvHistory 1% Assembly Line process.  The 1% version of this plane is based on  Giovanni "Nanni" A. Cignoni's outstanding original G-55 visual.

G55 Serie I - Aviazione Nazionale Repubblicana "6 Nero". This historical skin depicts a G55 of the 2nd Gruppo Caccia 1st Squadriglia "Gigi tre ose" (Luis three birds). The aircraft has individual number "6 nero", but its serial number was hidden by the application of the German style camo. This squadron was based at Cascina Vaga (near Pavia), in May-June 1944.



The 1st Squadriglia was the first to begin the transition to Bf 109G. By the end of June all the G55's of the 1st were delivered to other squadrons to reintegrate the losses.

All original images of "6 nero" are in black and white, the camo was applied on the field and we cannot be sure of the colours that were used. The proposed skin refers to the available photos and to the profiles of A. Brioschi.

After the Armistice between Italy & the Allies some of the Sottoserie 0's delivered to the Regia Aereonautica were shipped to North Italy where they were sequestered by Germans and then delivered to the Aviazione Repubblicana (AR, later in 1944 the name changed in Aviazione Nazionale Repubblicana, or ANR). In the meanwhile, the production of the aircraft belonging to the Serie I had started in Turin under the control of the German authorities. In November 1943 the completion of 128 G55's was authorized and started the delivery of the new aircrafts to the units of the AR.

Production of Serie I G55's continued until August 1944. In April 1944 an Allied raid over Turin produced heavy damage to the Aeritalia plants, destroying many G55's, some near to be completed in the assembly lines and others ready for the delivery on the factory airfield. In August, after the MM91150 episode, the German authorities stopped the G55 production and ordered the scrapping of all the aircrafts in the factory. In September all Aeritalia activities officially ended. During this period about 50 G55's were delivered to the ANR.

The ANR,  fighters units, were organized in two Gruppi Caccia (Fighter Groups), each one with a Nucleo Comando (Command Flight) and three Squadriglie (Squadrons): 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the I Group, and 4th, 5th and 6th in the II Group. There were also a Squadriglia Complementare d'Allarme (Complementary Scramble Squadron) and a Squadriglia Scuola Caccia (Fighter School Squadron). A third Fighter Group was planned but never constituted.  Nanni

The Fiat G-55 Centauro, arguably the best Italian production fighter of the Second World War, was designed around requirements issued by the Direzione Generale Costruzioni of the Ministero in 1941, which intended to provide the Regia Aeronautica with a first line fighter equal to any being produced by the Allies.

Fiat reinstalled the G.55 assembly line after the war, using wartime manufactured assemblies and components to produce the G.55A single seat fighter/advanced trainer of which the prototype was first flown on 5 September 1946. The Italian Aeronautica Militaire procured 19 G.55As and 30 were supplied to Argentina, which returned 17 in 1948 for resale to Egypt, The Italian Aeronautica Militaire acquired 10 of these, and 15 were sold to Argentina in 1948.

BEAR
http://www.avhistory.org