Fiat G.56 Italian World War Two Fighter Prototype

Fiat G.56

The Fiat G.56 was an Italian single-seat fighter aircraft developed in 1944 as a high-performance derivative of the Fiat G.55 Centauro to exploit the increased power of the German Daimler-Benz DB 603A liquid-cooled inverted V12 engine. While the G.55 had been one of Italy’s most capable piston fighters of the Second World War, Fiat engineers led by Giuseppe Gabrielli adapted its airframe to accept the larger and more powerful DB 603A, rated at approximately 1,750 hp, which significantly boosted performance compared to the G.55’s license-built DB 605-series engine. This installation increased the G.56’s length and empty weight, necessitating minor structural adjustments and a simplified armament suite consisting of three 20 mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannon; the fuselage-mounted machine guns of the G.55 were removed to save weight and improve balance.

Flight testing of the G.56 began in March 1944, with at least two prototypes constructed. The first prototype was flown under German oversight in northern Italy and carried Luftwaffe markings, reflecting the shifting control of Italian aviation industry facilities following the 1943 armistice. In trials the G.56 demonstrated a markedly higher top speed—approaching around 685 km/h (426 mph)—and retained the good high-speed handling that had characterized its G.55 ancestor, making it competitive with contemporary Axis and Allied piston fighters in both acceleration and altitude performance. However, despite these promising results, the G.56 never reached serial production. Germany’s own fighter production demands and the limited availability of the DB 603 engine, which were prioritized for German designs, coupled with Allied bombing of Italian industrial infrastructure, constrained further development and manufacturing.