Designed by Ing. Giuseppe Gabrielli, the intermediate trainer G.46
was the first new model produced by Fiat at Turin after WW II and the
first all-metal trainer in the Italian AF. The first prototype,
G.46-1 (MM52000), powered by an 195 hp Alpha Romeo 115-Ibis
inverted six-cylinder in-line liquid-cooled engine flew for the first
time on June 25, 1947, with Ing. Vittore Catella at the controls. The
second aircraft built became the prototype for the Argentine version
and was flown for the first time as the G.46-2B (MM52001), on
February 2, 1948, also piloted by Catella.
The production version was the G.46-1B and 25 were built for the
Italian AF, the first being delivered in 1949; a further ten were
delivered to the Syrian AF. Argentina received 70 aircraft of the
G.46-2B model powered by the 250 hp de Havilland Gipsy Queen Srs.30
(also an inverted six-cylinder in-line liquid-cooled engine), the
first being delivered in 1949 as well, the last in 1951.
These were followed by the two-seat G.46-3B and single-seat G.46-3A,
both powered by the 215 hp 115-Iter version of the Alpha Romeo
engine. In 1951/1952 refined and updated G.46-4A and G.46-4B models
were built, also powered by the 215 hp 115-Iter engine. A
total of 223 aircraft of all versions were built. From 1958 a number
of the Italian AF aircraft were transferred to the Italian Aero Club,
and five former Italian AF G.46-4Bs were supplied to the Austrian AF.
G.46-1B
Ed Coates Memorial Collection G.46-4B
Dan Shumaker Collection
Specifications (G.46-1B)
Type:
tandem two-seat intermediate trainer
Engine:
one 195 hp Alpha Romeo 115-Ibis inverted six-cylinder
in-line liquid-cooled engine
Span:
34 ft 1.4 in (10.4 m)
Length:
27 ft 9.9 in (8.48 m)
Height:
7 ft 10.5 in (2.4 m)
Wing area:
172 sq.ft (16 sq.m)
Empty Wt:
2,161 lb (980 kg)
Loaded Wt:
2,866 lb (1,300 kg)
Max speed:
189 mph (304 km/h)
Max climb:
1,500 ft (290 m)/min
Ceiling:
9,400 ft (6,000 m)
Range:
590 mls (950 km)
Models
G.46-1:
prototype (MM52000 c/n 1)
G.46-1B:
two-seat trainer for Italian AF (25, MM52775-MM52799, c/n 8-32)
and Syrian AF (10, c/n 33-42)
G.46-2B:
two-seat trainer for Argentine AF (prototype, MM52001, c/n 2 + 70
production c/n 3-7, 48-68, 71-80, 99-132)
G.46-3A:
single-seat trainer for Italian AF (20, MM52805-MM52806,
MM52807-MM52824, c/n 69-70, 81-98)
G.46-3B:
two-seat trainer for Italian AF (5, MM52800-MM52804, c/n 43-47)
G.46-4A:
single-seat trainer for Italian AF (35, MM53093-MM53102,
MM53283-MM53297, MM53489-MM53498, c/n 143-152, 189-203, 214-223)
G.46-4B:
two-seat trainer for Italian AF (55, MM53083-MM53091, MM53393-MM53412,
MM53052, MM53298-MM53312, MM53499-MM53508, c/n 133-141, 153-172, 173,
174-188, 204-213)
G.46-5B:
two-seat navigational and IFR trainer for Italian AF (1, MM53092, c/n 142)