The air force was
unhappy, but Fiat pointed
out that the aircraft
had been conceived
for operations at low
altitude.
In September 1967,
the second prototype
(NC.2002, MM.580) flew,
and the AM decided to
order a first batch of 20
pre-series aircraft, the
first flying in July 1968. A second batch of 55
aircraft was then agreed, but was later cut to 45.
Fiat studied a two-seat G.91YT, but the air
force considered that its G.91T/1 was more
than fit for the operational conversion role.
Another project, the G.91YS, was
developed to meet potential demand from
Switzerland, but in 1971, the Swiss Army
selected the F-5E, and the only G.91YS built
(MM.6461) was returned to the AM.
The RSV carried out two evaluation phases
on the G.91Y, one in June and July 1968 and
the second in December. The first series
production aircraft arrived at Pratica di Mare
from May 1969, and remained in 1970, when a
series of foreign delegations visited the base to
assess the type.
The first operational unit to fly the G.91Y
(the ‘Yankee’, as it was soon dubbed by its
crews) was 101° Gruppo from 8° Stormo at
Cervia, which was still flying the old F-84F.
Transition of the squadron started in June
1969 and the flying training activity was carried
out at the RSV, integrated in the OT&E of the
type.
The first three aircraft landed at Cervia on
May 11, 1970 and, in January 1971, an official
ceremony was held to mark the IOC of the
unit. At the end of 1972, the 101° Gruppo
already had a fleet of 30 aircraft.
A year later, on March 1, 1973 the
conversion of a second squadron, the 13°
Gruppo at Brindisi, began. They were already
flying the G.91R. Personnel carried out the
training at Cervia and, in August, returned to
their home base with the new aircraft.
The G.91Y squadrons’ job was low-levelinterdiction, CAS, reconnaissance and tactical
support to maritime operations (TASMO).
In the 1980s and until 1994, the Y
squadrons were often assigned to the air
component of the NATO Allied Mobile Force
(AMF). The retirement of the Y started in July
1993, when the 13° Gruppo of 32° Stormo
passed its aircraft to the 101° Gruppo, waiting
to convert on the AMX.
The 101° Gruppo continued to fly the
G.91Y until November 26, 1994 when a
retirement ceremony marked also the de-
activation of 101° Gruppo and 8° Stormo.
Gen Cesare Montefiori (ret’d) flew four
years with the G.91R/1 before becoming an
instructor pilot for three years on the G.91T/1,
finally flying the G.91Y for nine years with 101°
Gruppo.
He said: “The ‘Yankee’ always maintained
an exalting pleasure of piloting at all speeds
and attitudes. You became used to the
automatic slats that operated at all speeds.
You were exalted when controlling the rolls
at high speeds, and you always felt at home- the aircraft was always honest in its flying
qualities.”
He said recce and CAS missions were the
daily commitments and flying in the Dolomite
valleys or in the Alps showed the aircraft was
always “sincere and honest in all its responses”.
He added: “However, these qualities were
opposed by the particular fragility of the
engines, very sensitive to FOD [foreign object
debris] and micro-
FOD. I remember
the deployments
to the range at
Decimomannu, when
to support six aircraft
we needed to have
several spare engines.
The engine technicians
were for sure the most
busy on the Yankee.”SUMMARY
The G.91R and T models were very
successful aircraft, quite fit to respond to the
needs of operational air environments in the
1960s – in the specifically assigned roles.
Fortunately, they never saw real operations
and only the G.91R were called to some alert
deployments, such as Operation Dattero in
November 1975, when during a crisis with
Libya, some aircraft were deployed to the base
on Pantelleria Island.
The G.91R was widely appreciated by
its pilots and – loaded with Mk.82 or BL.755
bombs and (for the West German model)
with 30mm guns – were an asset not to be
underestimated.
The G.91T was an excellent and
demanding trainer, a necessary step for all
pilots destined for the combat fleet, especially
to the F-104.
On the other hand, the G.91Y cannot
be considered a success. It was heavier
and more complex than the G.91R, but its
combat capabilities were not much better
than those of the G.91R/3. The J85 engines
were sophisticated and delicate, while the
single air intake to feed two engines was a
technical solution that imposed operational
limits and was the origin of some accidents.
The G.91Y was not really appreciated by the
Italian AF test wing, and also by the General
Staff, its order limited to the minimum. The
‘Y’ never attained export sales (also due to
a lack of support from the government) but,
nevertheless, served for almost 25 years
and was appreciated by pilots for its flying
qualities.54 Aviation News incorporating Jets February 2018An impressive line up of G.91s photographed during
an airshow at Treviso in May 1985. Riccardo NiccoliThe last flight of a Gina was officially carried
out at Amendola by G.91T/1 MM.6363, which
received this special colour scheme, on
September 30, 1995. Riccardo Niccoli48-54_fiatDC.mfDC.mfDC.mf.indd 54 08/01/2018 16:40