Breda Ba.65

Infobox Aircraft
name=Breda Ba.65


caption=
type=Ground attack aircraft
manufacturer=Breda
designer=
first flight=September 1935
introduced=
retired=1941
status=
primary user=Regia Aeronautica
more users=Iraq Chile Portugal
produced=1935-1939
number built=218
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=The Breda Ba.65 was a single-engine ground attack aircraft used by the Italian Regia Aeronautica during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.

Design and development

An evolution of Breda Ba.64, the Ba.65 was designed by Antonio Parano and Giuseppe Panzeri. The Ba.65 was a single-seat, all-metal, cantilever low-wing monoplane with aft-retracting main undercarriage. Like its predecessor, it was intended to undertake "aeroplano di combattimento" multiple roles as a fighter, attack and reconnaissance aircraft. Mondey 2006, p. 25] The Ba.65 carried wing-mounted armament of two 12.7 mm and two 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, with internal stowage for a 200 kg (400 lb) bombload in addition to external ordnance that could total 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). The prototype, which was first flown in September 1935, like the initial production aircraft, used the 522 kW (700 hp) Gnôme-Rhône K-14 produced under license by Isotta-Fraschini. Starting from the 82nd aircraft, the more powerful Fiat A.80 RC.41 18-cylinder, twin-row radial engine with a takeoff rating of 746 kW (1,000 hp) engine was adopted. Mondey 2006, p. 25] Production ceased in July 1939 after 218 aircraft were built by Breda and Caproni.

Operational history

The Breda Ba.65 debuted during the Spanish Civil War, with the Aviazione Legionaria using the Series I variant powered by the Gnôme-Rhône engine. It proved effective, and was compared positively with the German Junkers Ju 87. In a unique engagement, on 24 July 1936 one of the Aviazione Legionaria pilots scored an air-to-air victory when he encountered a lone twin-engine Tupolev SB-2 bomber over Soria and shot it down. [ [http://www.comandosupremo.com/Bredaba65.html Breda Ba.65] ] Of the 23 Ba.65s sent to Spain, 12 had been lost in the course of the civil war. The Ba.65s flew 1,921 sorties, including 368 ground-strafing and 59 dive-bombing attacks. When the Aviazione Legionaria returned to Italy in May 1938, they bequeathed their 11 surviving Ba.65s to the Spanish Air Force.

During World War II, the Ba.65 was employed against the British in North Africa. Most were either out of service or shot down by February 1941. The aircraft, which had been forcibly kept in service after the failure of the Breda Ba.88 and the poor performances shown by the Caproni Ca.310, was replaced by modified S.79s or fighters in the dive bomber role.

Twenty-five Isotta-powered Breda Ba.65s were sold to Iraq in 1938 and saw action against the British. Chile bought 20 powered by the Piaggio P.XI (also a 14K derivative) and Portugal purchased 12, in June 1939. The Soviet Union received ten aircraft.

Variants

;Ba.65:Single-seat;Ba-65bis:Twin-seat bomber;Ba-65bis:Twin-seat trainer

Operators

;flagicon|ITA|1861-state Italy;flag|Iraq|1924;CHI;POR;flagicon|Spain|1939 Spanish State;URS

pecifications (single-seat version)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War IIBishop, Chris, ed. "The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II". New York: Barnes & Noble, 1998. ISBN 0-7607-1022-8.]

crew=1
length main=9.30 m
length alt=30 ft 6.1 in
span main=12.10 m
span alt=39 ft 8.4 in
height main=3.20 m
height alt=10 ft 6 in
area main=23.5 m²
area alt=253 ft²
empty weight main=2,400 kg
empty weight alt=5,300 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=2,950 kg
max takeoff weight alt=6,500 lb

engine (prop)=Fiat A.80 RC.41
type of prop=radial engine
number of props=1
power main=746 kW
power alt=1,000 hp

max speed main=430 km/h
max speed alt=230 knots, 270 mph
range main=550 km
range alt=342 mi
ceiling main=6,300 m
ceiling alt=20,670 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

guns=
** 2 × 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns
** 2 × 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns
bombs=500 kg

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Mondey, David. "The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II". New York: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 0-7537140-60-4.
* Sgarlato, Nico. "Italian Aircraft of World War II". Warren, Michigan: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1979. ISBN 0-89747-086-9.
* Shores, Christopher. "Regia Auronautica, a Pictorial History of the Italian Air Force. Vol. 1: 1940-1943". Warren, Michigan: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1976. No ISBN.
* Taylor, Michael J.H. "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation" Vol.2 . Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1980. ISBN 0-7106-0710-5.
* Winchester, Jim. "Breda Ba.65." "Aircraft of World War II" (The Aviation Factfile). Kent, UK: Grange Books plc, 2004. ISBN 1-84013-639-1.

External links

* [http://www.comandosupremo.com/Bredaba65.html Breda Ba.65]
* [http://avia.russian.ee/air/italy/breda-65.php Breda Ba.65 (1935)]

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=
* Aichi D3A
* Blackburn Skua
* Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
* Douglas Dauntless
* Junkers Ju 87 Stuka
* Vultee A-31 Vengeance

sequence=
* ← Ba.44 - Ba.46 - Ba.64 - Ba.65 - Ba.75 - Ba.79 - Ba.82 →

see also=

lists=
* List of attack aircraft
* List of aircraft of Italy, World War II