Fiat Br.20 Cicogna (Stork)

History

Fiat BR. The 20 "Cicogna" (translated in Italian as "Stork") was a medium bomber that served with the Italian Air Force at the end of the two world wars and the beginning of World War II (1939-1945).

However, like other interwar designs forced to fight in conflict, the Siconia has been surpassed by its contemporaries and adversary fighter designs - in the years-long conflict, The bomber's service count was reduced. By early 1943, the series design as a whole was removed from any useful front-line service, eventually being replaced by the more powerful Italian designs that followed.

BR. The 20 was born out of a 1934 Regia Aeronautica requirement for a new medium bomber with a serviceable war load and performance to suit the role. Therefore, a multi-engine, multi-unit design is minimal. Fiat was one of the local companies that responded to the request, submitting their proposal in 1935. To advance the design from paper to prototype, the BR. 20 flew for the first time on February 10, 1936.

The design of the aircraft is credited to Celestino Rosatelli.

The bomber had a traditional twin-engine layout, with the engines located outside the center of the fuselage. Each engine is built into the nacelle in the main aircraft element of the wing and drives a three-bladed propeller unit. The front of the fuselage is stepped to give the pilot good visibility through the nose and equally good nose visibility for the bombardier and navigator. The central part of the fuselage is board-side and the stern is covered with a double vertical fin array.

A typical retractable "tail" landing gear configuration is used for ground operations.

There are five crew members on board. Dimensions (in the BR.20M variant) include an overall length of 54.7 feet, a wingspan of 70.8 feet and a height of 15.6 feet. The curb weight is 14,330 pounds and the MTOW is 22,270 pounds. Power comes from 2 x Fiat A. 80 RC. 41 air-cooled 18-cylinder radial piston engines, 1,000 hp each.

This performance gives the aircraft a top speed of 273 mph, a range of up to 1,710 miles, and a service ceiling of 26,250 feet.

Can carry a 3,530 lb bomb load and is defended by 3 x 12.7mm Breda SAFAT air-cooled machine guns placed in various defensive positions around the fuselage. One was installed in the nose for frontal attack and the other in the dorsal turret above the stern.

The third is governed by a ventral position under the tail.

The promising nature of the Fiat submission meant that the aircraft quickly entered the certification and serial production phase. Deliveries began as early as September 1936, by which time the series was available in large quantities for the following year's Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) (under the banner of the Aviazone Legionaria on the Nationalist side). They were used with great success with the Heinkel He 111 medium bomber of German origin - a bomb that also made its debut in the conflict.

Imperial Japan also used Italian bombers against China in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).

World War II began in September 1939, but the Italians did not join the Axis until October 13, 1940. Meanwhile, BR. 20 fully anchored at the forefront of Regia Aeronautica as a medium bomb platform. However, it soon became apparent that the bombers were being overtaken by a new generation of interceptors and fighters deployed by the Allies.

It lacked adequate defenses, had a modest bomb load, and performed relatively poorly against contemporary bombers of similar roles.

By 1942, the series was relegated to secondary roles, including bomber training and maritime patrol missions. In these roles, the series served until 1945, the end of the war.

Back in September 1943, the Italians surrendered as the Axis powers and re-established themselves as supporters of the Allied forces to complete their role in the war.

The original production model was simply called BR. Completed 20 and 233 examples. As BR, there are a pair of modified bombers. 20A, once used for aerial racing. br. The 20L was a visionary civilian-market modification, but only a compliant airframe was completed in 1939.

The next notable shape is BR. 20M, which introduced various design improvements as well as an expanded nose section. 264 examples follow. br. The 20C is a one-off fuselage modified from Agusta with a 37mm automatic cannon mounted in the nose. This design has been discontinued. br.

20bis is the new design standard for 2 x Fiat A. 82 RC. 42 1,250 hp radial engines, new all-glass nose section and increased internal volume.

BR. During the period outside Italy and Japan, 20 men fought under multiple flags. The Chinese complained about a captured example and used it against the previous owner starting in 1939. The Italian warring air force continued to use this type after the surrender of Italy in 1943. The Spanish government operates several companies under the Ejercito del Aire (EdA).

Other customers are located in Croatia, Hungary and Venezuela (single example).

Specification

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Performance

Performance

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Changes