The Ambrosini SAI.207 was a light fighter interceptor built entirely from wood and developed in Italy during World War II.
Powered by a single 750 hp Isotta Fraschini Delta, the SAI.207 enjoyed limited success during evaluation of the 12 pre-production aircraft.
The SAI.207 was a single seat, low wing monoplane with a conventional tailwheel undercarriage, developed from the Ambrosini SAI.7.
Its lightweight wooden construction, combined with a 560 kW (751 hp) Isotta-Fraschini Delta R.C.40 inverted-V engine, with a centreline cooling air intake, provided speed and agility.
Armament consisted of two fuselage-mounted 12.7 mm (0.500 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns.
In level flight the performance of the SAI.207 was impressive.
It achieved a speed of 580 km/h (360 mph) and over 800 km/h (497 mph) in a dive.
The Ministero dell’Aeronautica soon placed a production order for 2,000 machines, plus a pre-production batch of 12 aircraft for operational testing.
After the mixed results of operational evaluation and the signing of the Armistice, no production aircraft were built.
Specifications
Crew
1
Length
8.0201 m (26 ft 3.75 in)
Wingspan
9.004 m (29 ft 6.5 in)
Height
2.87 m (9 ft 5 in)
Wing area
13.90 m2 (149.6 sq ft)
Empty weight
1,750 kg (3,858 lb)
Gross weight
2,415 kg (5,324 lb)
Powerplant
1 × Isotta Fraschini Delta III R.C.40, inverted V-12 engine,
560 kW (750 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed
641 km/h (398 mph, 346 kn)
Cruise speed
489 km/h (304 mph, 264 kn)
Range
850 km (528 mi, 459 nmi)
Service ceiling
12,000 m (39,370 ft)
Rate of climb
13.25 m/s (2,608 ft/min)
Time to altitude
6,000 m (19,685 ft) in 7 minutes 33 seconds
Armament
Guns
2 × 12.7 mm (0.500 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns plus (MM8433 only)
