Breda Ba.65 Ground Attack Aircraft

The Ba.65 was first used by the Italians in Spain. It was an ugly, fat-looking, low-wing monoplane, intended as a fighter-bomber, but only suitable as a ground attack aircraft. It proved to be very vulnerable to modern fighters of the era as it was too slow to outrun them and too unmanoueverable to avoid them. The Ba. 65 came in single-seat and double-seat versions. In all only 219 were built. Production started in 1936.

Technical Details
The Ba.65 was powered by the 1000hp Fiat A.80 RC 41 rotary engine. This provided speed up to 258 mph (430 km/h), with a ceiling of 27,230 ft (8.300 m) and a range of only 342 mi (550 km). It carried a bomb load of 2200 lbs (1,000 kg) partly in the fusilage and on the wings, and came uncharacteristically well armed (for an Italian aircraft) with two 12.7 mm machine guns and two 7.7 mm machine guns.

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Image From: Angellucci and Matricardi. Combat Aircraft of World War II. 1933-1937. Volume 1. Permission to be requested.