The pilot of aircraft FA-19, a Finnish Air Force’s Fiat G.50, warming up the engine before taxiing over an icy runway. Note a long cover over the fairing of pilot’s headrest, the long antenna of the radio in front to the cockpit and, behind the plane, a roller to level out the frozen ground. The Finnish employed the Italian-built fighter in the two wars against the Soviet Union, Winter War 1939-1940 and Continuation War 1941-1944. On 25 June 1941 the G.50s of HLeLv 26, downing 13 out of 15 Soviet SB bombers. In a Finnish G.50 Fiat squadron claimed 52 victories against the loss of only two fighters. Between 30 November 1939 and 4 September 1944, HLeLv 26's G.50s shot down 99 enemy aircraft. Victor Sierra

Icy runway

Assisted by two aircraftmen sitting over the wing, because the forward narrow visibility during the ground operations typical of aircrafts with the tailwheel, a Finnish fighter pilot taxiing over a snowy runway with his Fiat G.50. Note the propeller spinner, Swedish made, adopted by Finnish Air Force on her Italian fighters to give protection at propeller’s setting system from hard winter avoiding the freezing of lube oil. Finland ordered 35 Fiat G.50s at the end of 1939 and the first 10 aircraft were to be delivered before February 1940. A group of Finnish pilots arrived in Italy for a training course of 10 hours at Guidonia airport, near Rome, and later at Fiat Aviazione in Turin and again at the Furbara Firing Range, near Rome. On a training flight, Lieutenant Tapani Harmaja during a dive from 3,500 meters, reached an estimated speed of 780 km/h, considered excessive for the structural integrity of the aircraft (the windscreen was damaged in the process). Germany hindered the transit of the aircraft, consequently, the G.50s were disassembled and embarked in La Spezia harbor on a Norwegian ship that set sail on 20 January, bound for Turku, Finland. Upon some sources, due to this delay the first G.50s did not reach HLevLv 26 at Utti, until February 1940. Victor Sierra

Taxiing over snow

Two Finnish Air Force’s airmen resting over and under the wing of a fighter plane Fiat G.50 during the brief summer of North East Europe. The most successful Finnish G.50’s fighter pilots were O. Tuominen (23 victories with G.50s), Capt Risto O. Puhakka (11) N. Trontti (six), O. Paronen (four), U. Nieminen (four) and L. Lautamäki (four). The Finnish G.50s were phased out of front line duty in summer 1944. Victor Sierra