This Day in Aviation History
February 26th, 1937
First flight of the Fiat G.50.
 
The Fiat G.50 Freccia (“Arrow”) was a World War II Italian fighter aircraft. First flown in February 1937, the G.50 was Italy’s first single-seat, all-metal monoplane with an enclosed cockpit and retractable undercarriage to go into production. In early 1938, the Freccias served in the Regia Aeronautica (the Italian Air Force), and with its expeditionary arm, the Aviazione Legionaria, in Spain, where they proved to be fast and, as with most Italian designs, very manoeuvrable. However, it had inadequate weaponry (two Breda-SAFAT 12.7-mm machine guns). The Fiat G.50 was also used in small numbers by the Croatian Air Force and 35 were shipped to Finland, where they served with distinction, with an unprecedented kill/loss ratio of 33/1…..
 
Source:
Wikipedia, Fiat G.50: http://gstv.us/1Qh2KUE
 
YouTube, FIAT G.50 Freccia Italian fighter plane: http://gstv.us/1Qh2Rj0
 
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Photo from: http://gstv.us/1Qh2Uvk

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