Talk:C205/@comment-107.184.201.220-20170301020018

I encourage all to read the flyoff test against the Luftwaffe at Guidonia in 1943.

Aside from the 3 Italian series 5 fighters, the Germans brought the Fw 190A-5 and Bf 109G-4.

So the Germans had no outboard cannons and the cowl guns were rifle caliber while those of the Italians were HMGs. Thus the German fighters with lighter armament should have outflown the Italians.

However this did not prove so simple. While the Italians all out-gunned the trimmed-down Gustav and Anton, the Veltro could out-roll all but the Anton-5. Both lacked great altitude performance. So it was considered average. Also, like the Fw 190, the Veltro had a bad stall-spin. The climb of the Veltro was better. The 3 Italian fighters had better terminal dive speed  and handling  than the German planes.

The Gustav had good altitude performance but the Centauro and Sagitario had everyone else beat up high and could out-turn all comers. The Re.2005 was best up high. The G.55 was best overall, so it was the winner. It could be mass produced easiest of the Series 5s. It also was best able to upgrade to the next engine, the DB-603 like the later Ta 152. In fact the Fiat Centauro was Kurt Tanks favorite ride and likely had an impact on his Ta 152 developement. The G.55 could sport 5x20mm Mausers and survive 3x30mm hits and return home! The only average trait of the Fiat was roll-rate. The Germans could take solice in the fact that their radios worked best.