G.80/G.82 The First Italian Jet Trainer

Only a few days to December 9th, that date is important because on that day, in 1951, it made the first flight G.80, the first Italian jet trainer. Although produced in Turin the historical flight happened to Amendola, military airport where the prototype was transported from Turin. The choice was obligatory because the Turin track was not long enough to guarantee operations with the new FIAT airplane. The history of the G.80, and of the subsequent improved version, the G.82, deserve to be known. The fifties, in Italy, were the pioneering times of the design of the first jets, the industries were trying to recover from the recent destruction of the war and were looking for markets to restart production. In this context the FIAT initiative, at the time led by prof. Valletta, who authorized Ing. Gabrielli to the project. Aviation Collectables Company could not let the history of the G.80 / G.82 go lost in time and in the Italian Aviation Series the important FIAT project has found the place it deserves in this book.