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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 2178.PDF
go AUGUST I, 1940 A formation of Fiat B.R.20S. They cruise at about 210 m.p.h. A STANDARD ITALIAN BOMBER Designed for Bombing and Reconnaissance, the B.R.20 is an All-Fiat Product IN most of the aircraft-manufactur-ing countries there are one or morefirms which produce both aircraft and engines. Sometimes, although not inevitably, such a firm's aeroplanes are powered by the firm's own engines, and the combination should, theoretically, be the best possible be- cause it is to be supposed that the very closest co-operation between the air- craft and engine departments has been applied. It will, of course, happen now and again that such a firm designs an aircraft type for which the firm's own engines are not suitable, but, generally speaking, the production of the entire aircraft under one control should give an harmonious design. An Italian example of the unified product is the B.R.20 bomber, illus- trated herewith. A product of the Fiat company, of Turin, this machine can be regarded as being approximately in the same class as our Wellington, i FIAT B.R.20 1 Two Fiat A.80 R.C.41 Engines : 1 DIMENSIONS. • Length o.a • Wing span: Height • Wing area . 52ft. Sin. : . 70ft. Bin. :14ft. lin. : . 800 sq. ft. ! ; WEIGHTS AKD LOADINGS. ; : Weight empty : Disposable load: Gross weight Wing loading; Power loading : PERFOR : Speed at ground level .. : Speed at 6,560ft.'• Speed at 13,000ft. : Speed at 16,40()ft.: Speed at 19,700ft. : Cruising speed: Service ceiling UANCE. . 14,500 Ib. : 7,900 lb. :. 22,400 lb. : . 28 Ib./sq. ft. '••. 11.2 lb./h.p. j . 217 m.p.h. : . 235 m.p.h. :. 264 m.p.h. j . 261 m.p.h. :. 255 m.p.h. • . 210 m.p.h. :. 26,000ft. : : Service ceiling after bomb release 32,800ft. \ • Range at cruising speed and :: 13,000ft . 1,240 miles • : Climb to 19,700ft. in 23 mins. • using the expression with reference to gross weight and power, and not as applied to quality. The Fiat com- pany, in common with most large firms, has several designers, some specialising on one class of aircraft, some on another. In the case of the B.R.20 the letter R is the initial of the designer, Rosatelli, and "B" indicates bomber. The B.R.20 differs from several Italian bombers in that it has been designed to what may be termed the orthodox formula. It is a twin- engined monoplane of generally clean design, and with twin fins and rudders. Other Italian designers have shown a decided preference for the three-engined formula. In this country—as, indeed, in most others— it is held that the engine in the nose of the fuselage does not '' pull its weight," apart from the fact that it occupies a space in the fuselage which is wanted for the bomb-aimer. Modifications •.-_ Certain changes in the design of the nose of the B.R.20 have been made since the machine first appeared. These are obvious from an examina- tion of the pictures on this and the next- page. The amount of framing evidently interfered with the bomb- aimer's view, and now the lower por- tion of the nose is practically all transparent. Reference has been made to the " orthodoxy" of the aerodynamic design of the B.R.20. The structural features are equally straightforward, although a certain amount of com- posite construction is incorporated, so The new nose. This should be com- pared with the photograph of the original nose on the opposite page. The bomb-aimer's view is obviously very much better.
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