G.55 sottoserie 0

Description

The G.55 sottoserie 0 is a rank Italian fighter with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica" alongside the initial Italian aviation tree.

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

• 8 mm Steel - Pilot's seat
• 50 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
• Critical components located at the front of aircraft (pilot, engine, controls)
• Fuel tanks located in wings
• Fuel tank in the fuselage behind the pilot

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

The G.55 sottoserie 0 is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, nose-mounted (250 rpg)
• 4 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 1,200 total)

Suspended armament

The G.55 sottoserie 0 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 50 kg GP 50 bombs (100 kg total)
• 2 x 100 kg GP 100 bombs (200 kg total)

Usage in battles

The G.55's main strong points come down to its engine power, its light construction and its wing profile, which grant it a high sustained rate of climb, a tight turning circle and the power output to endure sustained horizontal manoeuvring. It performs best up to medium altitudes around 5,000 m (16,404 feet), after which it is generally outperformed by its competition. Unfortunately, its light construction and its wing profile mean that when the Centauro goes into the vertical, it bleeds speed very easily. Its top speed in a dive is unimpressive and it can barely catch up in a zoom climb with its competitors. The armament is very effective as well, however, the MG 151 is not very accurate at range, which should be taken into account when engaging in head-on passes.

You should primarily enforce an energy fighting flying style to take advantage of the aircraft's decent energy retention and solid manoeuvrability, and also to try to cover the Centauro's weakness of mediocre speed. Try to stay above your enemy, but take care to recognize the threat your attacker poses by observing the plane they are flying.

Specific enemies worth noting

• Spitfire F Mk IX and Spitfire F Mk XIVe. These two Spitfires are some of the most common enemies you will face, and accordingly, some of the most dangerous. The Mk IX has decent speed, amazing climb rate and a great turn rate, and the XIVe has excellent speed and acceleration, great energy retention and solid performance at high altitude. You should never engage a Spitfire in a turn-fight, so focus on Boom-&-Zoom to use your powerful armament to shred through their weak airframes.
• P-51D-30. The P-51D-30 is another enemy you should take note of. It is arguably one of the best aircraft at this BR thanks to its excellent speed, great climb rate, relatively powerful armament and solid high-speed manoeuvrability due to its Laminar flow wings. The Packard V-1650 is basically a Merlin engine tuned for high altitude, and it can propel the D-30 to speeds the G.55 can only dream of. However, the D-30 has extremely poor manoeuvrability at low speeds due to the same Laminar flow wings that allow it to turn well at high speeds, so if you cannot engage one with an energy advantage you can turn-fight it.
• Yak-3P. The feared red Russian menace is an extremely dangerous opponent that can engage you on a more than even footing. It turns extremely well and has a solid climb rate while also sporting a relatively powerful set of 3 B-20 cannons, but its performance suffers above 3,000 m where its already mediocre speed becomes crippling. As long as you take care to not turn fight one and engage it above 4,000 m, it is not a threat.
• Late Bf 109s. The G-2 and G-6 outclass you in every way, shape and form. Under no circumstances are you to engage these opponents, and if one forces a fight on you, seek assistance from teammates.

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful armament and large ammunition pool, and placed in the nose like the P-38 Lightning series for successful head-on attacks
• Quite agile thanks to the DB 605 engine
• Can be used as fighter-bomber when needed
• Exceptional diving performance, combined with centre-mounted armament allows for exceptional Boom & Zoom tactics

Cons:

• The .50 cal Breda-SAFAT are notorious for woeful firepower past 300 m and inferior when compared to the M2 Browning
• Inferior flight performance over C.205 serie 3 despite similar battle rating and the same engine
• Mediocre roll rate
• Slower speed than any Allied or Axis fighter at its battle rating

History

Powerful, fast and sturdy, the G.55 was considered an unbeatable interceptor at high altitude. The second of the "Serie 5" or third-generation Italian wartime fighters with the DB 605 engine, 30 were in service at the time of the 1943 Armistice, and Fascist forces continued to use the 150 still in their possession until the end of the war.

Six hundred were supposed to have been built by Fiat, along with 250 Macchi M.C. 205s and 750 Reggiane Re. 2005s, but the armistice ended those plans. The Fiat design was faster than the Macchi at high altitude, and it was more powerfully armed as well. It was considered sturdier, but slower and less manoeuvrable compared to the Reggiane design. The 353rd Squadron took it operational in June, 1943.

After the war, production resumed, with Argentina and Syria buying the model. It continued in Italian service for several years.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the G.55 sottoserie 0 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance