Plane in U-571

In that last photo I can kinda see how people would mis-ID her for a ‘Stang.

“I’m not sure of the Sea Fury though.”

IIRC,about 18 months ago the Zuccolis’ machine received the attentions of Ellsworth Getchell,who operates a Centaurus-powered SeaFury in the States.The Zuccoli machine’s engine was run and u/c retraction tests etc were carried out,but the aircraft wasn’t flown for whatever reason.As far as I know,the aircraft hasn’t flown since Guido was killed.

Can’t I have a friendly dig at the CAA?

Oh, perhaps they were sick of carrying people in the backseat, but I thought that the CAA may have been a factor. This was from a conversation with Wayne Milburn, the Aerotec engineer, many many years ago. My memory isn’t very fresh anymore, especially now that I’m sitting on the other side of the equator, and the world appears upside down in the UK.

You’re right about the rear cockpit being revived, as the attached photo shows (dated 7th Sep 03) from www.warbirdz.net

I don’t know much about the Italian G.59 other than the fact that she was in U-571 with a set of fake canopies to resemble the framework of a ‘109 and she had a pair of bombs on her too. She also showed up at Legends for a few years.

The Zuccoli machine though was featured in FlyPast a few years back after the canopy conversion was done. In the issue, Guido Zuccoli states that he changed her to a single seater and added the Italian camo because he was tired of people asking if it was a Mustang. There was no mention of the Aussie authorities having a problem with the rear seat. She has since had the second cockpit put back in place and is now flying with a three blade prop instead of the cuffed four blader. The couple of issues of Classic Wings I have, shows her at several airshows. The Zuccoli Boomerang is still going strong too. I’m not sure of the Sea Fury though.

Re: Fiat G.59

Originally posted by PhantomII

So what was the peformance of the G.59 like? Was it another case of too little too late?

It wasn’t really too late, the G-55 was reputedly one of the best fighters of the war, both Allied and Axis pilots had this opinion but when the war ended the supply of Benz motors dried up so they re-designed the front end and cockpit areas, fitting a Merlin 500 making the -59. The performance is really good so I’m told, dare I say it, better than a Spitfire. They did make a single seater too though and there might still be a few around in Syria but I’m not too keen on bullet dodging so the Arabs are welcome to them 😉 I think the cannons you were referring to were only replicas fitted for filming the U-571 part though I’m not totally sure as my G-55/59 stuff is out on loan at the mo. Would look nice next to the G-46 we look after 😉

Tom.

Phantom – she was an advanced trainer derived from the Fiat G.55. By the stage she wsbuilt I guess the P-51D and Spitfire 1X
were the prime fighters in Italian service hence the need for a ‘hot’ two seat trainer.

Re: Fiat G.59

Originally posted by PhantomII
I feel stupid thinking it was a Firefly.

Don’t. Looking at that first picture, I can see a lot of similarities, especially with the nose and the blown front canopy. Nice looking aeroplane.

Fiat G.59

Thanks guys.

I feel stupid thinking it was a Firefly. I didn’t even think about possible Italian designs. I went through just about every Allied and German design I could think of, but for some reason Italy didn’t cross my mind.

Perhaps the guns sticking out of the wings was what made me think it was a Firefly. Don’t they have four 20-mm guns kinda close together?

So what was the peformance of the G.59 like? Was it another case of too little too late?

The Zuccoli Fiat

I was told that the rear cockpit was faired overdue to the CAA having problems with the passenger carrying capability. Complete nonsense I know but that’s the Aussie CAA for you.

Before:

and after:

Hi Tom,
I’m pretty certain she had some sort of prang a couple of years ago,something like a groundloop.I’ve not heard of her returning to flight yet,although ofcourse she may have done.
Thanks for the corrections on the Zuccoli machine,I couldn’t remember if she was a single or two seater.

I think you’re getting your wires crossed there Ant, Valenti’s -59 is still flying as usual as far as I’m aware and I don’t think she’s had a prang recently either. As for the Zuccoli machine, this too is still most definitley airwarthy and also a two seater, as far as I’m aware no single seaters remain, though she did have one of the cockpits faired over to look like a single seater.

Tom.

Here she is landing at Legends a few years ago.She was daubed up in a dark green uppers/light blue undersides Luftwaffe scheme for the film,and also carried a drop tank under each wing.

It was a Fiat G.59,a Merlin powered fighter from the early post-war years(A design which started life as the G.55 with a DB605 during the war years.)
The one in the film is a rare two-seater based in Italy,and I believe is the only one flying (there’s another in Australia which hasn’t been flown for a number of years).It had some sort of serious prang a couple of years ago,so I’m not sure if she’s currently airworthy.She used to attend Flying Legends quite regularly in the late 90’s.