The Fiat G.50 Freccia was an Italian fighter aircraft from World War II, developed and produced by the aviation firm Fiat.
Upon its introduction into service, this aircraft became Italy’s inaugural single-seat, all-metal monoplane featuring an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear.
The G.50 made its first flight on 26 February 1937.
In early 1938, the Freccias were deployed in the Regia Aeronautica and its expeditionary unit, the Aviazione Legionaria, in Spain, where they demonstrated competitive speed and manoeuvrability against their opponents in the region.
The aircraft was extensively deployed across multiple theatres by Italy, including Northern Europe, North Africa, the Balkans, and the Italian mainland.
The G.50 often faced the British Hawker Hurricane, which was sufficiently fast to regularly outpace its Italian counterpart and also had superior range.
Moreover, it became evident early in the Second World War that the G.50 was equipped with insufficient armament, featuring only a pair of Breda-SAFAT 12.7-mm machine guns.
Subsequent variants of the fighter included enhancements, such as an increase in fuel capacity, which resulted in a significant boost in operational range.
The G.50 was sold to various international clients, with a limited quantity operated by the Croatian Air Force, while 35 G.50 fighters were delivered to Finland, where they distinguished themselves in both the Winter War of 1939–1940 and the Continuation War of 1941–1944 against the Soviet Union.
During their time in Finnish service, the aircraft reportedly attained an extraordinary kill/loss ratio of 33/1.
