The Last of the Centauros: Fiat G.59

[@wlpaul4]

"It did rather well in Finland against the Soviets" always gives me a chuckle. The Finn's ability to take anything with wings and find a way to use it effectively in combat was unparalleled.

[@TheDing1701]

Yeah, I immediately thought of Brewster Buffaloes! I'm a quarter Finnish!

[@masteronone2079]

Beat me to it, remind me never to pick a fight with Finland.

[@jesspeters1611]

They even made good use of the P26

[@Simon_Nonymous]

I was about to post a comment "find a plane that DIDN'T do well in the hands of the Finns"!

[@no-legjohnny3691]

True, although I will say that their effectiveness was also likely helped by the massive amounts of inexperienced Soviet pilots in the winter war lol

[@Ob1sdarkside]

That's a beautiful looking plane, Italian styling at its best

[@jerryjeromehawkins1712]

Agree. Looks like a Bf109/ Spitfire combination... with a little Ferrari thrown in. 🏎 👍🏾

[@bulukacarlos4751]

My father was a mechanic in the Argentine Air Force. They had to specialize in an airplane when they graduated from school. He did it on the G-55 and had to learn about the Merlin to repair the one and only G59. Good planes according to him, but they were not assigned a sufficient maintenance budget because 100 Gloster Meteor arrived in our country and obviously that was the future of aviation (end of the 40s). The same thing happened to the Ñancu project.

[@bigsmoke6189]

The Nancu was a brilliant aircraft with tremendous speed and beautifully streamlined .

[@bulukacarlos4751]

@@bigsmoke6189 Yes, but it was too late. Its first flight was in 1948 and a year earlier the F-86 and the Mig 15 had already flown. Projects with jet engines derived from the Ñancu (Pallavechino I and II), although they were never manufactured, would not have been substantial improvements over the to the Meteor. In addition, at that time the Pulqui II program was already underway. The Ñancu would have been a fantastic multirole fighter in WW2 but the jet revolution killed it before it was born

[@Tordogor]

I always understood that the Fiat G-55 was considered a piece of sh¡t by the nascent Argentine Air Force - mostly because the Italian built DB-605s did not work properly. AFAIK, the members of the FAA were very happy when the G-55 was taken out of service. A Fiat G-59 sounds like thebItalian equivalent to a the Merlin-powered Messerschmitt 109 built in Spain.

[@snarkymatt585]

Italian Mustangs... they look more like late model Spitfires to me. Great video Ed!

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Lol I thought the same! But apparently the IAF was flying mustang's, so that is what influenced them.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters Well, I know what I'll be calling my Italian 2+2 sports coupe.

[@paoloviti6156]

@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters I think that the propeller blades and cone was taken from the P-51...

[@paoloviti6156]

@Aqua Fyre yes you are right, I didn't think about this beautiful airplane. I think it was the last fighter prototype made by Curtiss before becoming a mere shadow of it's former glory...

[@Warmaker01]

I like to joke that the P-51 Mustang is really a British aircraft. Because the heart of the airplane that makes it possible, the engine, is a British one.

[@WArbirdFan4FlyingMillionaires]

My family is in possession of the last flying Fiat G-59 4B. Can’t wait to go on a spin with her^^. Thanks for the cool video. Nice to know some of the historical background of the planes ur flying.

[@volvodadfast]

I look forward to seeing a video of it in the air!

[@thecommentaryking]

Are you in Italy?

[@shaggygabe728]

Could you maybe show it on your channel? I think alot of people would be interested

[@volvodadfast]

@@thecommentaryking I wish I was

[@WArbirdFan4FlyingMillionaires]

@@thecommentaryking hehe. No, im German😁

[@nicowals2036]

The FIAT G.55 on display at the Italian Airforce Museum in Vinga di Valle (a small town near Rome) is a converted G.59. It’s displayed in the colours of the Montofusco-Bonet Sq. An independent Sq. of the ANR. This Sq. Was based on the airfield of Veneria Reale. Close to the city of Turin. The airfield is still there. Now an airfield for AMI helicopters.

[@BoomVang]

That AF museum north of Rome is a must-visit. I made the long walk from nearest train station, but was lucky they had recently mowed tall roadside vegetation.

[@chrisreynolds7164]

Most Australian enthusiasts are aware of the last flying example, it was owned by Guido Zuccolli, who also owned and flew a Centaurus powered Sea Fury (now resident in Germany).

[@paoloviti6156]

@Aqua Fyre thanks for sharing this interesting info regarding the life of Guido Zuccoli. Personally I would have loved to meet this very interesting person and I am sure that who met him will miss him very much....

[@paoloviti6156]

@Aqua Fyre in Italy, but also in other countries, we have a saying that water makes you rusty, Lol 😆 😄

[@thelandofnod123]

I always loved seeing the Fiat in action at air shows, it even roared low level over my house one day as it was heading to the airport for a refuelling stop on the way to another show. But I think my favourite Guido moment was at Donnington somewhere in the early 90’s. The annual fly in was in support of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and there were a bunch of freeloaders who would park on the highway near the end of the strip to watch rather then pay the small entry fee. Enter Guido in the Sea Fury. The following power up and holding of the mighty Centaurus combined with the dirt strip saw ALOT debris and even more fleeing vehicles. I thought it was pretty funny anyway.

[@ZacYates]

MeierMotors did an incredible job transforming VH-LIX into D-FIAT - what a stunning piece of machinery! Whatever happened to the airworthy Italian example?

[@lorenzodelfino5894]

Your video brought me back to 1976 when I graduated in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Palermo - at the time, one of only five in Italy offering Aeronautical Engineering courses. In the hangar attached to the classroom there was a G59-4B, used during Aeronautical Structures and Aeronautical Instruments subjects. Unfortunately the year that I graduated the Dean decided to cut the wings to make room for some test equipment. My very vocal protestations "costed" me 3 points in my final score. Two years later I went to work for FiatAviazione, the original manufactured of the G55, and 4 years later I was seconded to Pratt & Whitney. .... but that was a long long time ago (gone with the wind). Thanks for bringing some memories of my younger (and happier) years.

[@mxdl1173]

I live in Parma and remember Pino Valenti flying his G.59 at the Spring meeting of the small airport, a lot of years ago. Unusually, he took off from the opposite of the runway, remaining at about 2 meters height for the whole length of it, gaining speed, then, just before he passed beside the small crowd assembled on the lawn of the club house, he suddendly pulled up at 60 degrees, showing us the belly of the plane. I still remember my guts literally vibrating in sync with the motor\propeller and the adrenaline shot...

[@That70sGuitarist]

Never has the old maxim if "if it looks right, it'll fly right" been any truer than with the Fiat G-55 and its later developments. The Centauro was a real thoroughbred, possessing very high performance, heavy armament and excellent agility, although that last bit shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with the history of Italian military aviation. Italy's pilots were widely considered the world's foremost aerobatic pilots in the late 1930's/early 1940's. From what I've read on the subject, Italian pilots who flew the Centauro were delighted with its agility, which meant it either met or even exceeded the expectations of the finest aerobatic pilots in the world. What I wouldn't give to see and hear a DB 605-powered G-55 being put through its paces by a skilled pilot!😉

[@Damorann]

Nice to see a forgotten aircraft that was a good airplane and actually saw some service. There are some hidden gems out there for sure. Great video !

[@McRocket]

You've done it again Jane's Mark II - er - Ed. I knew of the G.55 and the G.56 (with a DB603 with a top speed of 430+ mph). But nothing of these G.59's. Thank you. BTW - great looking aircraft. Though, the chin air intake of the Merlin is a large blemish on the otherwise GORGEOUS G.55/56. ☮

[@aaronlopez3585]

Quite a handsome looking design by Fiat. Thank you Ed.

[@rjd560]

Great video as usual Ed! Here in Australia the late Guido Zucholli had a two seat bubble canopy G-59 in which he was a regular on the air display circuit. MM53278, I remember it well growing up, although at the time, the commentators called it an Italian Spitfire rather than a Mustang.

[@rbilleaud]

Thanks for this video. Italian aircraft are often overlooked but they had some outstanding models. Just not enough of them and those they did have tended to be tough to maintain (not unlike most Italian cars). It was too bad - although I guess good from an allied point of view.

[@NoirChat138]

The G in G59 stand for Gabrielli (aka Giuseppe Gabrielli) the engineer behind G 50 and later the G91

[@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935]

A tiny amount of detail about the Merlins used would have been helpful as they came in a huge variety of specs’. They were military and civil transport single stage 2 speed supercharger 1,600 ish hp motors which would be slightly inferior to the DB605s at an extreme high altitude but which would be fine elsewhere and would have been far more reliable.

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

Knew of the G.55 but wasn't aware of further variants. GR8 content 👍 Many thanx Ed, much appreciated.

[@cartoonfan959]

how about a video of the Romanian IAR 80

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Lol! Yes yes, one day! ;)

[@lexthemystic3541]

I see you got here ahead of me! I suggested it a few videos ago, too!

[@lexthemystic3541]

@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters I'm still very much looking forward to it!

[@binaway]

The last production Hispano Aviación HA-1109 and HA-1112 ( Spanish licence built BF109 ) used surplus RAF props and Merlin engines . Know as the HA-1112-M1L. The first prototype Bf109 used a RR Kestral as the German engine was still in development resulting in the very first and last Bf109 variants built used British RR designed engines.

[@goatflieg]

Another "I had no idea" moment for me. As a lifelong warbird fan (60+ years), I'm continually amazed at the revelations you share.

[@LeopardIL2]

I didn't know of these plane existence!

[@lowersaxon]

The Anglo-Saxons didnt respect Italy‘s war efforts which was understandable.

[@Nellis202]

Read this , good Saxon sir : The popular perception in the western media is that Italian soldiers during the Second World War were best at one thing; Turning around and fleeing. Or raising their hands as soon they spotted an Allied soldier. This is untrue. Italians proved their bravery when they fought well during the Great War. In the next world war, they had no motivation to fight. Mussolini was no Pied Piper of Hamelin like Hitler. And unlike the Germans, the Italians were no children willing to jump off a cliff. Going around destroying everything and bullying others just because a vengeful man says so is no bravery. Look at what happened to the Germans in 1945. Italians were wiser, smarter and more down-to-earth, just the kind of people this Earth needs. pictureshistory.blogspot.com/2014/09/italian-soldiers-in-second-world-war.html

[@mikearmstrong8483]

Fiat G50, Curtiss Hawk, Brewster Buffalo, Morane Saulnier MS406, Gloster Gladiator, Fokker D21, Hawker Hurricane. It seems the Finns had an eccentric passion for excelling at air combat in substandard planes.

[@blackwolf4023]

Thank you for the video. My father got his "wings" with the G.59-4. About the top speed, all my sources talk of speeds above the 600 km/h.

[@jerryjeromehawkins1712]

Very, very sleek. Definitely has Italian lines. Thanks as always! 👍🏾🇺🇸

[@michaeltelson9798]

Many compare the Italian aircraft to late war aircraft and forget that development and production actually ended in 1943. The 5 series had other great aircraft like the Macchi C.205 and the Reggiane RE 2005, which was a distant cousin to the P-47. The FIAT G.50 and Macchi C.200 were initially produced with an enclosed cockpit but the fighter pilots didn’t like it. With the former that were used in the Battle of Britain the pilots froze. I can not image the cold in Finland.

[@patrickwentz8413]

Wow what a beautiful airplane. It is amazing that anyone was buying them when you could get a P51, P47, P40 etc etc still in their crates for pennies on the dollar. I wish I could go back to 1946 with a few thousand dollars and buy such planes. I would be a multi millionaire now.

[@paoloviti6156]

First of all let me tell you that when I was 16 together with my school mates when we visited the airport of Ghedi, 30 km from Brescia, in the early seventies. In the hangar among various airplanes there was a shiny G.59-1B twin seater. With the canopy open, of course I jumped in and was truly fascinated seeing the complicated dashboard. Unfortunately the military police and professor kicked me out and nearly got suspended from school and maybe get arrested as a spy for good measure LOL 😆. I was really angry with them being "mistreated"!! Seriously it is important to understand that the G.55 was fitted with the Fiat RA.1050 R.C.58 Tifone V-12 that developed 1,455 hp. It was the license-built DB 605A-1. Soon after the war because of the shortage of engines and spare parts it was decided to install the Rolls-Royce Merlin 500-45 engine developing similar horse power to the Fiat engine and it was the same engine as fitted on the Hispano Aviación HA-1112-M1L . That said the first few G.59 was almost surly fitted with the later and more powerful variants of the Rolls-Royce Merlin but was not exported anymore. Hope I didn't bore you 😴

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day, "455 Hp ...." ? Really ? That has to be a typographical error. Try 1,455 Hp, and you would be in the ballpark. 455 Horsies would barely get that thing out of Ground Effect. Such is life. Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@paoloviti6156]

@@WarblesOnALot sorry, you are correct as it was 1,455 hp as I typed wrong! You don't go anywhere with 4,55 hp, Lol 😆! I will correct this immediately and thanks for correcting me! Grazie mille and you too stay safe 👍👋👋

[@WarblesOnALot]

@@paoloviti6156 No worries mate ! All the rest of the information in your comment was clearly correct, and that one figure was out by precisely 1,000 hp ; so it had to be a typographical error. And if I'd mis-typed that kind of way, and who hasn't (?), then I'd want to know about it... Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@mac4boys541]

WOW respect, as probably the only commenter on here who has actually sat IN one of these rare aircraft, let alone seen one up close.

[@willsilk1492]

Anyone seeking more info on the G.59 should check out the book by Nicola Malizia entitled "Fiat G.59" published by IBN Editore. It's got everything and more on the history of the type. Thanks for another great video Ed! Cheers!

[@austingode]

Beautiful plane ….. that shares the irony of the Buchón and Mustang , the Merlin engine ….. great doc

[@stevenbreach2561]

Beautiful elegant lines,and a Merlin up front,can't go wrong

[@roybennett9284]

Love this website so many planes that you see as a kid in a book with very little real story..well done

[@jimpottssoundandvision]

I love these histories! When I see a new one I watch it. Cheers, JP

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks awesome Ed Nash.....From🇺🇸

[@gapratt4955]

So pretty much an Italian "Buchon". That would make an interesting video, "Where all did a Merlin end up?". From tanks as the Meteor to custom cars, hydrofoil race boats to replacing no longer available axis engines the Merlin was there.

[@johnladuke6475]

Table a little wobbly? Just stick a Merlin under the leg, we've got so many surplus now.

[@alvaroruizcendon8390]

Like the spanish "buchón" a Me 109 G with Merlín engine. They were used in Sáhara War because the american jet fighter was forbiden to use in colonial war. For this reason Spain launched paratroops from CASA 352L (Ju52), CASA 2111 (He 111 H16) as a bomber, and Ha 1112 M1L (Me109 G6 with Merlín Engine) as fighter/ ground atack with rockets. You can see the Buchones flying in 1968 movie: The Battle of England

[@SempreGumby]

Beautiful aircraft. Love to see and hear one flying please.

[@kyle857]

"It did rather well in Finland against the Soviets." What didn't?

[@mattbaur9784]

How the crap do you only have 68k subscribers I watch your vids as much as any of the others. Keep up the good work

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Lol I dont really push it, I suppose :)

[@billyoleary8291]

You get my subscription.Good subject,brief but informative.Thank you.

[@willkline5946]

Hey so is it just me or post ww2 the Merlin became even more ubiquitous the spitfire (I know it went to griffons), mustang, Spanish 109 clones and now the g.59. Are there more post war Merlin powered fighters?

[@richardnicklin654]

If we’re more interested in engines than aircraft, you may be interested in the fact that the Meteor (a de-rated Merlin without its supercharger and running on far lower octane petrol) stayed in production until 1964. It was used in a lot of British AFVs of various types.

[@pavementsailor]

I think it was used in upgraded P 38's as well. At least the US licensed build of that engine.

[@pavementsailor]

@@dave8599 I remember hearing someone relate a story about the British engineers trying to rebuild 109's engines without much success. As they didn't preform well after rebuilding. The story teller explained this was due to extreme tolerances and how good they were. But I suspect it was due to the mechanic's territorial reluctance.

[@mpetersen6]

There was an Argentine twin engine fighter prototype. There's an article on Old Machine Press about it.

[@Nitramrec]

@@dave8599 That's why the Bf 109 looked - somehow - ugly in this film ...

[@kiwihame]

Didn't know about this plane at all!! Great looking plabe. Thanks Ed.

[@mikemontgomery2654]

Interesting timing. I just got my hands on a FIAT G.55 model kit.

[@iformaddox3652]

Another excellent video on a little known aircraft.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

Good looking kites all of them. Thanks for the 'normal' content Ed as I guess your inbox is overflowing at this time.

[@stephenrickstrew7237]

First to say Thank You Ed Nash …!

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Lol more than welcome!

[@stephenrickstrew7237]

@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters I was in the Marines Aviation F-4 phantoms … we went for a med cruise 81 during the gulf of Sidrah incident …we ended up going to the sea of Murmansk 100 miles from Russia… NATO operation Joint Friendship … we got to tell the Admiral Kherov Missile Cruiser to … well you know … Cheers

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Nice! Got a Phantom vid in the pipeline.

[@hyenafur]

The one that’s in flying condition ends up on Trade-a-Plane every few years. It the training model if I remember correctly.

[@jwrappuhn71]

Great vid Ed.

[@NoirChat138]

One of the late 59 B is in display at the university of Palermo

[@Red-rl1xx]

Interesting video! I like finding out about lesser known aircraft. This one seemed like one of the better Italian aircraft, too.

[@parrotraiser6541]

Handsome machine. I woner if one of the restorations will show up at Oshkosh one day?

[@stevetournay6103]

Have not previously seen the 4A, the bubbletop single seater. Pretty...

[@Ralphieboy]

Fascinating stuff. Italian aircraft are much maligned but the handful of modern ones they built were outstanding.

[@thegodofhellfire]

What a great aircraft!

[@thomasdoubting]

That Mustang looks odd? ...???

[@johnreed9435]

Would love to see a Ki-61 re-engined with a Merlin. The Ki-100 was a formidable upgrade with a radial.

[@lebaillidessavoies3889]

I think it was "easy " fort the Italians to make good aircrafts when u have the DB engines available to you ....you just have to focus on a good airframe to fit it .

[@binaway]

Italian success in the Schneider Trophy proved they could develop good engines. It's a wonder their WW2 engines proved inadequate which forced them to rely on German designs. Probably a perfect example of Mussolini being all show with little substance.

[@enriconicolafasciani9151]

@@binaway don't forget the evolution and speed world records of italian seaplanes much before the beginning of WWII.

[@kommandantgalileo]

Do a video on the F-16 XL

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Hmmmmm...lots of vids on that already though...

[@kommandantgalileo]

@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters XF-103?

[@kutter_ttl6786]

Blinkov's Battlegrounds did an excellent video on the F-16XL.

[@dirt_ripper8734]

The G59 looks like a Mustang and a BF109 had a love child. Nice looking bird

[@aukula1062]

Love you videos! Thank you.

[@guidor.4161]

378 mph is about 608 kph

[@zJoriz]

Ahh that makes more sense! 409 kph sounds like a shockingly low speed for a late-war fighter.

[@TobyLawnjockey]

Landing gear is a bit friendlier than a 109?

[@lt.lettuce2023]

It looks like a p51 got its wings pushed forward and it's tail replaced with the tail of an il-10

[@Sailfire1]

You usually go for the ugly “birds” Ed. This time you picked quite a pretty one. Yet again, one that is somewhat unappreciated and almost forgotten.

[@jonathanlong6987]

Thank you! For saying “normality” not “normalcy.”

[@martentrudeau6948]

Good looking planes that reminds me of the Spitefire.

[@Nitramrec]

"Spitfire" or "Spiteful"?

[@traumgeist]

Syria had a penchant for WW2 Axis military equipment. They bought up many Panzer IVs left scattered around Europe after the War. Almost all of them ended up getting knocked out by Israeli Shermans. A few hulks were salvaged and are in collections or museums but most of them are still abandoned in the Golan Heights.

[@simonmcowan6874]

Reminds me of your comment 'if it looks good, it probably is'

[@SPak-rt2gb]

Good looking airplane kind of looks like a Mustang and Sea Fury

[@launch4]

Not that the G-59 wasn't an incredibly effective fighter by late ww2 standards, especially if it's packing four cannons, but how was a piston engined fighter supposed to compete in the late 40s and early 50s when jet engines had been effectively figured out? Makes sense that they'd be popular for a good few years while transitioning, but by the late 40s it would be outclassed by everything else on the market by a gigantic margin.

[@All_True_Especially_The_Lies]

@3:59 these are Iraqi fighters not Syrian. The flag has three stars not two. Also this flag was adopted in the 1960s.

[@zoranocokoljic8927]

A sugestion for a review: Rogozarski IK-3

[@anthonyxuereb792]

Going from an inverted V12 to an upright turned an elegant aircraft into an ugly one, I'm surprised it made such a difference.

[@S.Fortunato]

Maybe this is a case of the grass being always greener on the other side, here in Italy I've heard a lot of people bashing the 5 series, and Italy in WW2 as a whole, the usual argument is that our planes had decent performance but were always slowed down by the lack of build quality and high tech sensors of the Italian industry, the planes had basically no interchangeability between parts, were hand fitted and thus it took a lot longer to make a g55 then for example a bf109, and where relatively crude by late war standards

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

So, basically the same shortcomings as a lot of other Italian industries of the era?

[@S.Fortunato]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 yeah

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@S.Fortunato Figured, it's the same pattern that shows up with a lot of automotive manufacturers from there so it seemed fair to extrapolate that it's a broader trend.

[@nicowals2036]

The problem with the Italian aircraft was that they were very complicated to build. And yes a lot of hand labour was necessary to finish the aircrafts. The Italian Air ministry also didn’t focus on a one or two models. That’s why there are 3 Series 5 fighters. If Reggiane and Aer. Macchi we’re ordered to build the FIAT G.55 the RA and later the ANR would have been equipped with an formidable fighter. The FIAT RA 1050 RC 58I Tifone (DB605 license build) was also less powerful then the original. And FIAT was not able to produce the engine in sufficient numbers.

[@peterszar]

To me it looks like a combination of a BF-109 and a P-51, eh, maybe a little bit of Spitfire for good measure, ha ha.

[@thomasdarwin6174]

Italy built flying sports cars with the Macchi's and Fiat's - beautiful airplanes

[@babboon5764]

As the Luftwaffe pilots reckoned the Centauros superior to their Bf109s once it shared the same Daimler Benz engine ......... It Would be fascinating to know how the Centauros compared to the 'Messerspit' (see Mark Felton's vid) resulting from putting a 109 G's DB motor in a Mk5 spitfire airframe. Again the Luftwaffe pilots rated it above both 109Gs & other captured Spitfires with standard Merlins. Who knows, somewhere burried in an old archive maybe a report from someone who got to fly both?

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

Yep, Capt Eric Brown both.

[@lawrencelewis2592]

That's a good looking aircraft and they say, "If it looks good, it will fly good."

[@cotaviobio]

A very beautyful aircraft

[@jlvfr]

Had no idea the production continued post war!

[@inkycat7167]

I seriously saw this plane and thought, wait… is that a Mustang… no? That can’t be…

[@barnykirashi]

I always thought, the DB-605 and any inverted V-12 engine makes planes look just better, but in this case, I just can't look at the G.59, the G.55 and G.56 looks so much better, the merlin looks wrong. Also, I never understood, why nobody continued building the DB-605? There were engines, they could be reverse engineered, and boom, you just got everything you need to produce the engine, once you have the materials, and I suppose, some factories still remained in Germany, Italy, and Hungary that built the engine.

[@scootiepatootie7721]

Probably because Germany didn’t have the economy to keep making them or the British engine was just cheaper but yeah the sub looks way better

[@rob5944]

Looks a bit like a cross between a Mustang and a late model Spitfire to me, misidentification during WWII wouldn't have been to serious either I suppose since both were Allied. 🤔

[@rinkadink66]

Good video.. are there any other aeroplanes starting their lives with german engines, then switching over to British or American designs? cheers 🍻

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Lol mainly Spanish ones.

[@jb6027]

A truly beautiful looking fighter once it received a bubble canopy.

[@caribman10]

Poignant that the Fiat AND the Messerschmitt ended up with the engine that defeated them: the Merlin, best of all glycol-cooled WW2 aeroengines.

[@TheOldTeddy]

outstanding.

[@HarborLockRoad]

Think about the current situation and people " in the free west" sending arms sympathetically because" we' re the good guys, defending freedom." Yet, when Finland was similarly attacked, you see primarily German and Italian help. Makes you wonder about the " official" version of history always condemning the fascist states as the perpetual bad guys. Nobody else notices this?

[@johnladuke6475]

Oh, we're the self-serving guys, defending our strategic and economic interests, don't let them slide that by you. But whatever questions you might raise about the motivations of [insert your least favourite western politician] and their actions, at least you don't get poisoned and thrown in jail for running against them. I think that's a safe indication that even if we're not the good guys, currently we're the good enough guys.

[@kingwein89]

I'd say it looks most like a ki87

[@treyriver5676]

Good Plane, Great Vid.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

The best fighter of WW2! G56 was even faster!

[@raypurchase801]

You could fit a Merlin to a cheese sandwich and it would fly great.

[@preonmodel8354]

I’d prefer to call it the Italian Spitfire. It looks.... right.

[@wayneorellana2549]

Beautiful!

[@McRocket]

How about a review of the Mc 1000? It was designed and built in 12 weeks. And was equipped with two Ch 400 engines each putting out 2,187 hp. And had.........oh, I only dreamt it. Forget it...sorry. ☮

[@chonqmonk]

"...best of all axis fighters..." is a huge and surprising compliment no matter its source. I would've thought that honor would go to the ME 262, unless we restrict the category to piston engine planes, and then I would've guessed it was the TA 152.

[@codyoxcutter]

It was the best of all axis fighters at the time of the Luftwaffe did the trials, we are talking '43. Military Aviation History has a really well done video dedicated to this topic.

[@chonqmonk]

@@codyoxcutter Ohh, thank you!

[@martinpepperell8424]

"did well against the Soviets in Finland" - yet more evidence that Finns can fly and fight with anything when faced with Russian aggression.

[@stevennorth6484]

Easily as good looking as a Spitfire. Did they ever go up against one another?

[@21stcenturybohemian]

Them Eyetalians sure love them their long bonnets eh? You think they are compensating for something?

[@ronaldharris6569]

The merlin was truly magical it transformed everything it was used in

[@Nitramrec]

Of course - only "the merlin" could do that ...

[@owenshebbeare2999]

@@Nitramrec Few engines had that effect.

[@WildBillCox13]

A bit long in the nose for good ground handling and/or pilot orientation aloft. Reminds me of that last generation of French fighters before the war. I'd've rather up-engined the Cr-42 with the DB601 (1700HP) of the Fw190A, replaced the MGs with a single MK103 cannon, and balanced the weight with a Walter Rocket motor in the tail. Wheeeee! "Come Josphine-a in my flying machine-a!" -Captain Alberto Bertarelli Just kidding!