Ansaldo A.1 Balilla

From Wings of Linen
Ansaldo Balilla
Role Fighter
Manufacturer Ansaldo
Designer Brezzi [1]
First flight Nov 1917 [2]
Introduction 28 June 1918 [2]
Primary users Italy
Poland
Number built 108 [1] to 221[3] [note 1]
Wingspan 7.605 m (24 ft 11.4 in) - 7.68 m (25 ft 2 in)[4][3] - 7.95 m (26 ft 1 in) [5][note 2]
Engine 220hp S.P.A. 6A inline
Armament 2×fixed, sync. Vickers
Crew 1
Max Speed 205 km/h (127 mph)[3] to 215 km/h (134 mph) [6] to 220 km/h (137 mph)[7][5][4]
Climb 1,000 m (3,280 ft) in 2:20[6]-2:40[3]
2,000 m (6,560 ft)in 4:40[6]-5:30[5][3]
3,000 m (9,840 ft) in 7:30[6]-8:00[5] to 8:20[3]
4,000 m (13,100 ft) in 13:00[3]
5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 22:40[3]
Service Ceiling 5,000 m (16,400 ft)[7][4] to 5,400 m (17,700 ft) [6]
Absolute Ceiling 5,800 m (19,000 ft) [6][3]-7,900 m (26,000 ft)[5]
Endurance 1:30[7][5][4] to 2:15 [6] to 2:30[3]

Though the prototype for the Ansaldo A.1 Balilla flew in late 1917, there followed a series of adjustments, each of which required another pass through formal testing. By July 1918 the focus was on promotional photographs with famous aces, though 1600 Balillas had been ordered back in January. The first planes reached 91ª Squadriglia on 28 June 1918. Pilots found them difficult to handle and concluded they were not ready for front-line use. There followed one plane here and one plane there, and attrition was high enough to match distribution to the point that only a single Balilla was on 70ª Squadriglia strength at the Armistice. Thirteen A.1s had been delivered in the first half of 1918 and 153 in the rest of the year.

A.1s were purchased by Poland after the war but delays and distribution problems continually arose and order volumes continually dropped. Latvia, the Soviet Union, and others experimented with the Balilla but the planes rarely lasted long, even in a training capacity. [2] The full list includes Argentina, El Salvador, Greece, Honduras, Latvia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, the Soviet Union, Turkey, Spain, the United States, Uruguay, and Yemen.[3]

For more information, see Wikipedia:Ansaldo A.1 Balilla.

Game Data

Wings of Glory

Unofficial Stats
Availability Maneuver Damage Dmg Points Max Alt. Climb
18Q2-18Q4 A A 16 11 2
Card Links

Blue Max/Canvas Eagles

Aircraft Chart

Miniatures and Models

1:144 Scale

1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale

Resources

Orthographic Drawings

References

Notes
  1. ↑ 221 includes 62 still under construction. 159 to 161 were built in 1918.[3]
  2. ↑ Alegi states that original Ansaldo planes had a wingspan of 7.605 m (24 ft 11.4 in) but Castoldi, ISA, and Polish planes had a wingspan of 7.68 m (25 ft 2 in).[6]
Citations
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Angelucci, p.61.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Alegi, p.1.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Davilla Italian A-H, pp.8-27.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Angelucci, p.51.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Lamberton, pp.220-221.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Alegi, p.37.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Munson, p.48.
Bibliography
  • Enzo Angelucci, ed. The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, 1914-1980. New York: The Military Press, 1983 edition. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.
  • Gregory Alegi, Windsock Datafile 88: Ansaldo A.1 Balilla, Great Britain: Albatros Publications, Ltd., 2001. ISBN 1-902207-39-4
  • James Davilla, MD, Italian Aviation in the First World War, Volume 2, Aircraft A-H. USA: Aeronaut Books, 2023. ISBN 978-1-953201-80-5
  • W.M. Lamberton and E.F. Cheesman, Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Great Britain: Harleyford Publications Limited, 1960.
  • Kenneth Munson, Fighters 1914-19, Attack and Training Aircraft. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1976. ISBN 0713707607
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