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The G.91 Aeritalia nicknamed Gina (or Miss Zuverlässigkeit in the Luftwaffe) is an air support and tactical reconnaissance. Put into service in the late 1950s, it was built 612 copies used mainly by Italy and Germany. Design
In 1953, NATO launched the competition LWSF (Light Weigth Strike Fighter) to provide member countries with a tactical air support economic, able to carry out reconnaissance missions and to use land summarily arranged in order to counter a possible Soviet offensive.
After a first selection, three projects were selected: the Breguet Taon, the Dassault Etendard VI and Fiat G91.
A prototype of each aircraft was ordered for evaluation. The G.91 designed under the direction the engineer Giuseppe Gabrielli made its  first flight on 9 August 1956 with the test driver Ricardo Bergamini orders. This device will be destroyed in an accident on 26 July 1957.
The G.91 was finally declared the winner of the competition in January 1958. The Italian government had anticipated the choice of NATO ordering 3 of prototypes and pre-27 aircraft. In the end, only Germany and Portugal also used the plane disappointed that his project would not be retained, France withdrew from the program, while the orders of Greece and Turkey were canceled.
The G.91 was commissioned in 1958 and will be used for almost 40 years. The initial version was available in tandem drive and a version of recognition. On 27 December 1966 took place on the first flight of the G91-Y, with much higher performance by increasing its power provided by 2 General Electric J85 engines. It will be built in 67 copies.
The aircraft will be built in Italy and Germany or group of firms Messerschmitt, Heinkel and Dornier as Flugzeug Union South-made 308 copies in total in the plant Dornier Oberpfaffenhofen. The latest devices out in 1966. Commitments
The only G.91 engaged in combat were those of Air Force Portuguese during the wars of independence of Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique. At the cessation of hostilities in 1975, Angola took possessions of some devices that Portugal had not been evacuated.
The G91 was selected to equip the patrol aerobatic Italian Frecce Tricolori between 1963 and 1982. Variants G91: Monoplace ground attack
PAN G91: Version for the Italian aerobatic Frecce Tricolori
G91R: Photographic Reconnaissance
G91R / 1: Version for Italy
G91R/1A: With navigational instruments improved
G91R/1B: With the process of landing strengthened
G91R / 2: Moved to the French Air Force, but no orders
G91R / 3: For the Luftwaffe (Germany) with guns of 30 mm DEFA
G91R / 3 (FZD): Version civil G91R / 3, used by a private company to tow targets for the Luftwaffe
G91R / 4: Canon 30 mm and other minor changes
G91T: Tandem drive
G91T / 1:
G91T / 3: For the Luftwaffe
G91T / 4: With the avionics of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
G91Y: With 2 reactors General Electric J85-GE-13A
G91Y-T: Biplace advanced training
G91Y-S: Adapted to the needs of Switzerland (1 prototype product)
Category: Aeronautical
Type: Glossaries and Dictionaries
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