The Fiat G.46 trainer bears a family resemblance to the wartime G.50 and G.55 fighters which were also designed by Giuseppe Gabrielli.
The Italian aircraft industry recovered quite quickly after the war and the Fiat G.46 first flew on 25th June 1947.
A contemporary of the DHC -1 Chipmunk, fewer were produced, 223 as opposed to 1284 chipmunks.
150 were sold to the Aeronautica Militare, and a further were 70 exported, to Austria, Argentina and Syria.
The Fiat G.46 was powered by an Alfa Roma 115-1-Ter (licence-built Gipsy Queen II) engine and was reputed to be a better aerobatic aircraft than the early versions of the Chipmunk.
There are now only around five examples of the Fiat G46 preserved.
The photos depict Fiat G.46-3B MM52801. Originally registered as I-AEHU, then G-BBII, D-ECCA. The aircraft is believed to now be registered as I-GIGE, with an all-silver colour scheme and is based in Italy.
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