Despite the total failure of the plane and the phasing out of all aircraft in service, during 1941 Breda and IMAM produced again the Breda 88, 19 by the first, 48 by the second, all delivered to Regia Aeronautica. None entered in service. The majority of this Breda 88, after the factory test, was transferred from the factory directly to scrapping for salvage of the strategic materials. The Breda 88 of this picture, the white band on the fuselage date the photo 1941, is very probably one of this aircraft. Few aircraft was modified on 1942 at Cascina Costa by Agusta with wing span lengthen of 2 meters and wing surface increased for reduce the wing loading, dive brakes, engine Fiat A74, only four MGs on the nose, but the performances remained poor. On 7 September 1943, eve of the Armistice of the Italy, three Breda 88 Modified are on Lonate Pozzolo airfield, Lombardy, with the 103rd Gruppo Tuffatori (103rd Dive Bombers Group). This planes was seized by the Luftwaffe with German markings, tested by German pilots, but immediately phased out. Victor Sierra

Amazing!

Despite the glaring demonstration of his faults, the Regia Aeronautica attempted the use the Breda 88 also on an operational theater very difficult as the North Africa. Late July 1940 the 7th Gruppo Autonomo Combattimento (7th Autonomous Combat Group), Squadriglie 76th, 86th and 98th, was transferred from Campiglia (Leghorn) to Libya with 32 Breda 88 equipped with anti-sand filters. The North African atmosphere worsen the poor performances of the planes. With anti-sand filters fitted, a maximum horizontal speed of 250 km/h (155 mph, the original requirement was for a maximum speed of 530 km/h, 329 mph,!) was reported in many cases and the piloting was extremely dangerous. The Breda 88 was grounded until September. On 14 September 1940 was attempted a raid against the Sidi Barrani airfield, in British hands, 250 km from the departure base. with three aircraft with full crew (two men), full fuel, 1,500 shots for the MG and 250 kg of bomblets: take off impossible for one aircraft, impossible gain altitude for the other two and the leader decided the return at the base, but his plane was forced to fly straight for 20 minutes to Sidi Rezegh, at this moment in Italian hands. Same result from other attempts, one Breda 88 was shot down by “friendly fire”, the bomblet dispenser was delete, but the pilots reported very long take-off, vertical speed 1 or maximum 2 m/sec, maximum speed in altitude 260 km/h, 5 degrees of flap in level flight for a minimum margin over the stall speed, zero controllability: a total failure. Last attempt: fuel reduced of 400 kg, rear MG and second crewmember deleted, but with very little improvements. The Breda 88 “single-seat” of the 7th Gruppo was tested as interceptor (!), but by mid-November all the aircraft was grounded, phased out, and stripped of useful equipment, scattered around operational airfields as decoys for attacking aircraft. Some Breda 88’s airframes was discovered by the Allies troops after the final conquest of the Libya as this plane photographed at Benina by a serviceman of the USAAF’s 57th Fighter Group. An inglorious fate. Victor Sierra

An inglorious fate

The pilot of a Macchi MC.200 fighter aircraft of the a Regia Aeronautica’s 21st Gruppo Caccia (21st Fighter Group) likely on Eastern Front, Summer 1942. The MC.200’s cockpit indicate an aircraft of the last series. Victor Sierra