Wartime Aircraft
of the Finnish Air Force

Fiat G.50

by Jason Long


The Finns placed a contract for 25 G.50s on Oct. 23rd, 1939 as the Italians promised immediate delivery. The first reached Finland on Dec. 18th, but deliveries were slow as Germany refused to allow the aircraft to be transshipped after Soviet protests about the first two. An order for a further 10 was placed immediately upon the Soviet attack.

LeLv 26 received its first G.50s on Feb. 11th, claiming its first kill on the 26th. Only 26 reached LeLv 25 before the end of the war, but 11 kills were claimed for the loss of only one G.50 in combat. Another had been destroyed in a landing accident and two had been lost prior to delivery.

The G.50 was retained by LeLv 26 until March of 1944 when it gave the 11 survivors to HLeLv 30 and then T-LLv 35 for fighter conversion training. It claimed 88 kills for the loss of only four in aerial combat during the Continuation War. Another was lost to flak, and seven in accidents.

More WWII Aircraft of the Finnish Air Force

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