ITALY

Aeronautica d'ltalia SA was the aeronautical branch of Fiat, occupying the factories of the old Ansaldo company which it had absorbed by the 1920s, although the Ansaldo name was still used. For this company and the Societa Italiano Aviazione the name Fiat (or Fiat-Aviazione, or Fiat- Divisione Aviazione) was used after 1924.

Renamed FIAT, SOCIETA PER AZIONE 1949 to succeed Aeronautica d'ltalia, inheriting its plant and program. (Fiat's Divisione Aviazione merged subsequently with Aerfer as Aeritalia formed November 12,1969, fully operational January 1,1972.) Fiat G49 advanced trainer flown September 1952. G80 jet trainer with de Havilland Goblin 35 engine, first flown December 9,1951, was first postwar Italian jet aircraft. In conjunction with Macchi built 80 de Havilland Vampire FB.52As; built 221 F-86K all-weather fighters for Italy, France, and West Germany, first example completed June 1955. G91 adopted as NATO light tactical fighter; prototype flown August 9,1956 and several hundred built subsequently. Prototype of G91Y variant first flew December 27,1966; 65 built for Italian Air Force. License-built 205 F-104S Starfighters for Italian Air Force. G222 twin-turboprop military transport project initiated before establishment of Aeritalia.

Aeritalia was created in 1969 by a merger of Fiat’s aviation divisions with two smaller companies.