Ansaldo A.1 Balilla 1917

Miniatura em madeira - em 16/08/2014 - Esc. 1/72

Ansaldo A.1 Balilla to pierwszy samolot myśliwski wyprodukowany przez włoskie zakłady Ansaldo. Projekt opracował Giuseppe Brezzi, a prototyp oblatano w grudniu 1917 roku. Samoloty te nie odegrały poważniejszej roli w czasie pierwszej wojny światowej. Włoscy piloci nie przepadali za Balillami wyżej oceniając francuskie samoloty wykorzystywane we włoskich jednostkach lotniczych. Jednakże ze względu na niedobór maszyn myśliwskich, latem 1918 roku Balille trafiły do jednostek na froncie, eskadr obrony powietrznej kraju i do szkół lotniczych. Po wojnie Włosi zdecydowali się wycofać myśliwce tego typu ze swojego lotnictwa i oprzeć się na myśliwcach francuskich (Hanriot HD-1 i Spad). W zakładach Ansaldo zbudowano około 200 maszyn Ansaldo A.1 Balilla.

The A.1 resulted from continued efforts by the Ansaldo company to create a true fighter. Their SVA.5 had proved unsuitable in this role, although it made an excellent reconnaissance aircraft and had been ordered into production as such. Ansaldo engineer Giuseppe Brezzi revised the SVA.5 design, increasing the size of the lower wing, and redesigning the interplane strut arrangement. While this produced more drag, it increased the stiffness of the wing structure and reduced stresses in the airframe. Engine power was increased to 150 kW (200 hp) and a safety system to jettison the fuel tank through a ventral hatch (in case of onboard fire) was installed.

Operadores

Projetado em 1917 pelo engenheiro Ansaldo Giuseppe Brezzi, a Ansaldo A.1 Balilla foi o primeiro avião de caça desenvolvido pelos italianos durante a Primeira Guerra Mundial Nos ensaios, Pier Piccio deu o Balilla uma crítica favorável, mas criticou a instalação de armas, a cabine estreita e vários outros detalhes. A 91ª Squadrilha , recebeu o primeiro Balillas no verão de 1918 mas obra de má qualidade e uma série de outros problemas levaram muitos pilotos italianos para concluir o Balilla era imprópria para o combate

Designed in 1917 by Ansaldo engineer Giuseppe Brezzi, the Ansaldo A.1 Balilla was the first fighter aircraft developed by the Italians during World War I. In trials, Pier Piccio gave the Balilla a favorable review but criticized the gun installation, the narrow cockpit and several other details. 91a Squadriglia, received the first Balillas in the summer of 1918. But shoddy workmanship and a number of other problems led many Italian pilots to conclude the Balilla was unfit for combat.

The first prototype was completed in July 1917, but acceptance by the air force did not occur until December. Test pilots were not enthusiastic in their evaluation. While they found a marked increase in performance over the SVA.5, the A.1 was still not as maneuverable as the French types in use by Italy's squadrons. This resulted in a number of modifications, including a slight enlargement of the wings and rudder, and a further 10% increase in engine power. This initially proved satisfactory to the air force, and the modified A.1 (designated A.1bis) was ordered into service with 91 Squadriglia for further evaluation.

Ansaldo foi uma das mais antigas e importantes empresas de engenharia da Itália - 140 anos 1853-1993.

Ansaldo was one of Italy's oldest and most important engineering companies, existing for 140 years from 1853 to 1993.