Another rare shot of the SLC in training. DVX

SLC in action

Detail of a Fiat G.55 Centauro’s front section of ANR-Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (National Republican Air Force), the air force of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana, or RSI, the Fascist Italian Republic established by Benito Mussolin on October 1943. The aircraft is a G.55 Serie I (Series 1), with two 20 mm Mauser cannons wing mounted replacing two of four machine guns nose mounted, of II Gruppo Caccia’s (Second Fighter Group) 5th Squadriglia "Diavoli Rossi” (Red Devils). Photo taken on 1944 but prior July of this year, when the II Gruppo was equipped with Bf 109G. During this span of time the II Gruppo’s Squadriglie was based at Bresso (Milan), Villa Masone (Reggio Emilia) and Cascina Vaga (Pavia), all on Northern Italy. The “Red Devil” is today the insignia of Aeronautica Militare’s (Italian Air Force) 6th Stormo based at Ghedi (Brescia) and equipped with Tornado-Interdictor Strike. Victor Sierra

“Red Devils”

The only G.55S (S for Silurante/Torpedo Aircraft), an airframe of Fiat G.55 Centauro converted in torpedo aircraft on 1945 upon requirement of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, or ANR. The modification’s project was developed by Sergio Stefanutti, engineer of ANR’s Technical Direction and designer of the SAI Ambrosini’s aircraft, despite the fierce opposition of the Fiat and of his designer Giuseppe Gabrielli. The aircraft employed was a normal G.55 Series 1, airframe number NC37, military code MM91086 modified at Venegono, near Varese, by the local SRAM (Squadra Riparazione Aeromobili e Motori/Repair aircraft and engines team) replacing the original central radiator under the fuselage with two under wings radiators and arranging in its stead the attacks for a 987 kg Whitehead torpedo electrically controlled. Other changes was a new and more high tail wing and the removal of the two nose machine guns. The G.55S was tested at Venegono and afterwards, with a torpedo’s concrete mock up, at Lonate Pozzolo by the captain Adriano Mantelli, a Spanish Civil War’s Italian ace and test pilot, on March 1945, eluding the German’s rigid control. The tests was a success and ten aircraft was commissioned to Fiat despite the Gabrielli’s aversion. The end of the war stop the project, but the G.55S survived and on April 1946 was switched to Lonate Pozzolo to Fiat-Aeritalia on Turin for the reconversion to series standard. On August 1948 the former G.55S was converted in G.55A (the Centauro’s post war model) for the Lecce’s Flight School. On 1949, after his return to Fiat, was employed for weapons tests and finally converted in G.59-1A (the G.55’s airframe with Rolls-Royce Merlin engine) with the new code MM.53037. Victor Sierra