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#Post#: 14412--------------------------------------------------
Plane of the Week: Fiat BR.20
By: vonofterdingen Date: November 30, 2020, 4:13 pm
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One thing that has long fascinated me is the propensity of
aircraft designers to attempt to build a bomber, or at least a
light bomber, that can accomplish its mission through speed and
agility. In short, designing a bomber that can outrun the
fighters of its day. In retrospect, that seems like a fool’s
errand. However, as I look back at the history of bomber
development, the idea never seems to go away. The fast bomber
concept seemed to rise to a peak in the 30s, only to be
disproven in WW2 (the B-29 is a possible exception). There
always seems to be a fighter update that will trump the fast
bomber. The Fiat BR.20 is one such bomber: high speed, long
range, good payload, and of course, being Italian, it looks very
cool. By the start of WW2, though, its speed was no longer
exceptional and it was easy prey to fighters of that period. The
BR.20 also suffered somewhat in popularity, due to the successes
and accomplishments of the Savoia Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero.
From Wikipedia
The Fiat BR.20 Cicogna (Italian: "stork") was a low-wing
twin-engine medium bomber that was developed and manufactured by
Italian aircraft company Fiat. It holds the distinction of being
the first all-metal Italian bomber to enter service; at the
time, it was regarded as one of the most modern medium bombers
in the world.
The BR.20 has its origins in a request by the Regia
Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) issued during 1934 for a
new medium bomber capable of high speeds, long range, and
satisfactory payload, reliability, and flight characteristics
compared to contemporaries. Among the companies that chose to
respond was Fiat, which completed its design for the competition
during 1935. On 10 February 1936, the first prototype (serial
number M.M.274) conducted its maiden flight. Flight testing
proceeded at a rapid pace; during September 1936, initial
deliveries of the type commenced to the Regia Aeronautica.
During summer 1937, the BR.20 received its baptism of fire
when a number were operated by the Aviazione Legionaria during
the Spanish Civil War; the BR-20 came to form the backbone of
Nationalist bombing operations, along with the German-built
Heinkel He 111. It was also used in combat during the 1930s with
relative success by the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese
War. During 1939, a modified long-range BR.20 version
(designated BR.20L) named Santo Francesco under the command of
Maner Lualdi performed a highly publicised non-stop flight from
Rome to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Upon the entry of Italy into the Second World War during
mid-1940, the BR.20 served as the standard medium bomber of the
Regia Aeronautica, however, by that point, the type was already
approaching obsolescence. By 1942, the aircraft was mostly used
for maritime patrol and operational training for bomber crews.
The BR.20 was produced from the mid-1930s until the end of the
Second World War. More than 500 were produced before the end of
the war.
During 1934, the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force)
issued a request to Italian aviation manufacturers, asking them
to submit their proposals for the production of new medium
bomber; the specifications called for it to be capable of speeds
of 330 km/h (205 mph) at 4,500 m (15,000 ft) and 385 km/h (239
mph) at 5,000 m (16,400 ft), a 1,000 km (620 mi) range and 1,200
kg (2,600 lb) bombload. Various companies chose to respond,
including Piaggio, Macchi, Breda, Caproni and Fiat; the majority
of these offered aircraft that would have exceeded the speed
requirements, but not the sought range; additionally, not all
designs exhibited satisfactory flight characteristics or
reliability levels.
Fiat's design team, headed by aeronautical engineer Celestino
Rosatelli, set about designing a bomber that would be capable of
relatively high speeds while using a simple and rugged
construction and maintaining a low overall weight. According to
aviation author G. Apostolo, the design "represented a departure
from the line of aircraft previous designed by Ing. Celestino
Rosatelli" and that it made use of elements of Fiat's earlier
prototype civil airliner, the APR.2. Upon its emergence, the
design, which later designated as the BR.20, was modern and
competitive with other Italian bomber aircraft. The BR.20
Cicogna was amongst those proposals to be accepted by the Regia
Aeronautica, together with the trimotor Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
and Cant Z.1007, thus gaining the prefix BR, (for "Bombardiere
Rosatelli").
Despite the BR.20 being the winner of the 1934 new bomber
competition, the Savoia Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero, a
non-competitor which was developed at practically the same time,
gained a reputation that overshadowed the BR.20 Cicogna, partly
because of its performance during several high-profile air
races. The performance differences between the two aircraft were
minimal: both were rated at about 430 km/h (270 mph), with
maximum and typical payloads of 1,600 kg (3,630 lb) and 1,250 kg
(2,760 lb) respectively for a range of 800–1,000 km (500–620
mi). Both bombers also possessed an assortment of three to four
machine guns as defensive weapons, but almost completely lacked
protective armour.
The reasons for the Sparviero's success lay in its flying
characteristics. The Sparviero was a more difficult aircraft to
fly with a heavier wingload, but overall its three engines
provided more power than the twin-engine arrangement of the
BR.20. The Sparviero, weighing around the same, had a reserve of
power and was capable of performing acrobatic manoeuvers, even
rolls. Its engines were more reliable than those of the BR.20
and had enough power to return to base even with one shut down.
The Sparviero's superior agility enabled it to perform as a
torpedo-bomber, while the Cicogna was never considered for that
role. Over 1,200 Sparvieros were constructed, being at least
twice as many as the Cicogna.
During the mid- to late- 1930s, the Spanish Civil War was
waged between right-wing nationalist and left-wing Republican
factions. However, the conflict quickly led to the Great Powers
of the era participating to various degrees in support of their
favoured side. The civil war became a testing ground for the
latest military equipment of the Italians, Germans, French,
British, Americans, and Soviets. As a by-product of this
involvement, rapid advances in bomber development were achieved
during this period.
During June 1937, Italy deployed six of its newly delivered
BR.20 bombers to Tablada, outside Seville, Spain, for use by the
Aviazione Legionaria as a part of its contribution in support of
Francisco Franco's Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil
War.[24] On 15 November 1937, the newly operational squadron
commenced daily missions against Republican targets, usually
without the support of a fighter escort.[18] During April 1938,
the bomber force flew many missions during the Battle of the
Ebro. In July 1938, the BR.20's role was expanded to include
photo reconnaissance missions due to the accuracy and high
quality of its A.G.R.61 camera.
During July 1938, a further seven aircraft were dispatched to
Spain. During the civil war, the type had frequently
participated in bombing raids across various areas of the
nation, including the Teruel and Ebro; during these engagements,
the BR.20 proved to be a sturdy and accurate bomber. When flown
at an operational altitude of 13,000 ft, the BR.20s were fast
enough to generally avoid interception by Republican-aligned
aircraft such as the Polikarpov I-15 and Polikarpov I-16
fighters were unable to challenge the BR.20.
Losses were very low; nine of the 13 BR.20s sent to Spain
survived to the end of the war when they were handed over to the
Spanish State to serve with the Ejército del Aire (EdA). While
the Cicognas was successful in the theatre, just 13 examples
were sent to Spain compared to at least 99 SM.79s, which meant
that the Sparviero was almost the Italian standard bomber,
especially on day missions.
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Following Nazi Germany's invasion of France in May 1940, and
with German forces pushing deep into France, Italy declared war
upon both France and the United Kingdom on 10 June 1940. At this
time, only four wings operated BR.20s compared to the 14 wings
equipped with SM.79s, with 172 Cicognas being in service with
the Regia Aeronautica including those not yet delivered to
operational squadrons. The units equipped with the Cicogna were
the 7°, 13°, 18° and 43° Stormo (Wing), all of which were based
in Northern Italy; the decision to base the type in the north of
the country was due to the general strength of the aircraft and
its excellent flight performance upon encountering turbulence.
The aircraft of the 7°, 13° and 43° Stormo fought in the
brief campaign against France. On the night of 12 June 1940,
eight bombers from 13° attacked Toulon dockyard. The next day,
10 Fiat BR.20s dropped bombs on Hyères and Fayence
airfields;[28] two aircraft (commanded by Catalano and
Sammartano) were shot down and one was badly damaged. The same
day, 28 BR.20s from 43° and 7° Stormo bombed Toulon again, with
no losses.
On 15 June, one BR.20M (Matricola Militare MM. 21837) of the
newly formed 172a Squadriglia Ricognizione Strategica Terrestre
based on Bresso airfield, was shot down over Provence by
Dewoitine D.520s, the French air defenses in the south having
not been defeated by the German attack in the north. Small-scale
air raids continued until the French surrender, with many BR.20s
also used in support for the Army – bombing Briançon,
Traversette and Cap San Martin fortresses on the Alps – and as
reconnaissance aircraft.[8][27] At the end of the French
campaign, five BR.20s had been lost and 19 airmen killed. In the
immediate aftermath of the campaign, the type resumed normal
training and base duties.
On 27 February 1941, 14 Cicogne of 98° Gruppo, 43° Stormo,
that had been in service with Corpo Aereo Italiano in Belgium,
led by commander De Wittembeschi, left Italy bound for
Tripolitania, in Libya.[33] On 11 March, they landed on Castel
Benito airfield; subsequently, they were allocated to Bir Dufan
base, where they replaced the Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 in the
night-bomber role.[35][33] In this theatre, the BR.20 was tasked
with bombing the British forces, in particular the key port of
Tobruk and the vital supply lines, in preparation for a major
joint offensive by Italian and Germany forces.[36]
While North Africa was never considered to have been a
primary theater for the Cicogna, 13 Stormo (Wing) was deployed
there to continue the night attacks against the British between
July 1941 and April 1942. However, due to Italian industry
struggling to produce aircraft to meet demands, the strategic
capabilities of the Regia Aeronautica was increasingly
restricted from mid-1941 onwards.
One of the last sorties occurred on 7 March 1942, when two
BR.20s strafed Arab troops serving with the British forces near
Oberdan village; subsequently, 11° and 43° Gruppi started their
withdrawal to the Italian mainland.[37] By 12 April, the whole
Stormo was back to Reggio Emilia base: during the African
campaign, with the type suffering many mechanical troubles
because of the desert sand, losses amounted to 15 Cicogne. The
last use over Africa was when 55° Gruppo aircraft contested
Operation Torch.
BR.20s were used in the Malta campaign in 1941, 1942 and
1943. On 7 May 1941, 19° Gruppo from 43° Stormo, left Lonate
Pozzolo with eight aircraft and arrived in Gerbini, Sicily. On
22 May, the BR.20s started to carry out raids against the
besieged island almost nightly. While British fighter defences
were initially weakened, operational effectiveness was regained
via the adoption of improved anti-bomber combat techniques,
which involved pursuing the bombers but only engaging them
directly at critical phases of the flight.
Several BR.20s were sent to the Soviet Union in August 1942,
to perform long-range reconnaissance and bombing sortie in
support of CSIR, Italian Army on Eastern Front. On 3 August
1941, two BR-20s arrived in Ukraine and were assigned to 38a
Squadriglia osservazione aerea (reconnaissance squadron) of 71°
Gruppo. Three days later they had their baptism of fire, bombing
enemy troops at Werch Mamor, along Don river. More BR.20s
arrived on 5 September from 43° Stormo. Three of them were
assigned to 116a Squadriglia. They usually flew alone bombing
sorties, carrying 36 small-baskets of incendiary bombes to drop
on enemy troops in urban areas. On 5 October, three Mikoyan
Mig-1s and a Yakovlev Yak-1 attacked the BR.20 flown by Capitano
Emilio d’Emilei. The Fiat crew claimed two Soviet fighters and
the bomber managed to land back to airfield, in Kantemirovka, in
Voronež Oblast', but the pilot was wounded. The BR.20s were
withdrawn from eastern Front in spring 1943, at first to Odessa
and, subsequently, to Italy, on 13 April.
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In game…
You will probably enjoy flying the BR.20 most in early war
scenarios. The Spanish Civil War is a good place to try out your
Cicogna, or even the Battle of France or Battle of England. The
later you get into the war, for more formidable the enemy
fighter attacks can become. But then, that is true of just about
any aircraft designed in the 1930s. If you want to try the
Cicogna in your IL-2 install, check out Dimon’s new hi-poly
version on this site, and couple it with Stanislao’s beautiful
skins (an example of Dimon’s plane in Stans’ skin is shown in
the screen shot above.
#Post#: 14418--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Fiat BR.20
By: Beowolff Date: November 30, 2020, 11:59 pm
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Ah! Wonderful POTW article! Great job, my friend!
S! ;D ;D ;D
Beo
#Post#: 14419--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Fiat BR.20
By: MADMICK71 Date: December 1, 2020, 12:09 am
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Thanks very interesting.
#Post#: 14420--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Fiat BR.20
By: DHumphrey Date: December 1, 2020, 1:17 am
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Excellent read Von ... another great aircraft to learn about,
very much appreciated !!! :)
#Post#: 14423--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Fiat BR.20
By: stanislao Date: December 1, 2020, 5:11 am
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Good boy ! A really in-depth article for this plane that I
literally love![/font]
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#Post#: 14440--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Fiat BR.20
By: cafs Date: December 2, 2020, 5:27 am
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Great article, Von.
About the "fast bomber" concept you are close, but you forgot a
couple of WW2 very fast bombers that were almost immune to
fighter interception, the DH Mosquito and Arado Ar.234. Very few
Mosquitos were intercepted at night, even with a heavy 'cookie'
( 4,000lbs = 2 tons ) in the bomb-bay. During day-hours, and
above 20,000 feet, they were immune to interception by FW-190s
or Me-109 Fs, just the Gs could get them, and with some
luck/great GCI operator.😳😜🤙
#Post#: 14441--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Fiat BR.20
By: vonofterdingen Date: December 2, 2020, 11:22 am
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Good point Cafs. I had indeed forgotten about the Mosquito and
Arado. They were certainly big successes.
#Post#: 14445--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Fiat BR.20
By: E69_Haukka Date: December 2, 2020, 1:37 pm
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Thank you very much Von. We continue to learn from your
enlightening articles. ;)
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