Last March, at the Piacenza airport detachment, the turbojet was put back into operation. Bristol Siddeley ”Orpheus” 803-02 of a fighter bomber G-91R, owned by 2nd Wing, Based in Treviso-Sant’Angelo and used as a photographic reconnaissance vehicle.
The aircraft is undergoing restoration to be returned to flight conditions in view of the celebrations planned for the occasion. Centenary of the Armed Forces, On March 28, 2023, in addition to the preservation and enhancement of the historical aeronautical heritage of the Navy of the Blue.
The recovery project was launched in October 2021, while the actual work began in January 2022 thanks to the collaboration between the company Callegari Srl and the Air Force, with technicians and specialists coming from, in particular, the 1st Aircraft Maintenance Department by Cameri (No), from 3rd Aircraft and Armaments Maintenance Department from Treviso, from 6th Wing by Ghedi (Bs) and from 61st Wing from Galatina (Le). The support of the company ACS and other small and medium-sized Italian companies is also fundamental.
The most challenging challenge was to update procedures and equipment that had not been used for about 30 years. The jet, designed in the 1950s by engineer Giuseppe Gabrielli, was in fact completely disassembled, to be reassembled only after the complete revision of all the individual components; the work was preceded by a careful analysis of all the technical and historical documentation on the aircraft.
The fighter jet will also be able to fly thanks to the collaboration between the engineers of the Air Force and the’National Civil Aviation Authority (Enac).
It Fiat G.91R It was a single-seater, monoplane and monomotor aircraft, capable of ground attack and photographic reconnaissance thanks to a system of cameras installed in the nose. Equipped with a wing in the shape of an arrow, it reached a maximum speed of 1,045 km/h, with a range of approximately 1,900 km.
Winner of a competition organized by NATO in 1953 for a light tactical fighter jet of European production, it remained in service in Italy until April 1992 when, with an official ceremony at the airport of Treviso-Sant’Angelo, then the headquarters of NATO in Italy, it was withdrawn from service. 2nd Wing, The last aircraft (the MM 6413) passed the baton to the new fighter AMX.
Over 750 examples of the Del G-91, nicknamed “Gina”, were produced in various versions, including the “T” two-seater training model (Trainer) and the bi-motor variant “Yankee”which took its name from the only “Y” shaped air intake that powered the two General Electric J85 turbojets.”.
From 1963 to 1982, finally, a special version PAN, Lightened, equipped with smoke generation systems, white and colored and painted in the characteristic blue livery, equipped the 313th Group of Acrobatic Training “Frecce Tricolori”based in Rivolto (Ud).
