29:
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A meeting of NATO Defence
Ministers was held in April 1958 at which it was agreed that the G.91 would be the first NATO lightweight strike fighter, with the Breguet Taon following in 1961. A production meeting was planned for May 1958 to discuss the production of the aircraft with financial support
270:
Project selections started on 18 March 1953 and took 18 months to complete, the first result being announced on 30 June 1955. The winning projects were, in order: the
Breguet Br. 1001 Taon, the Fiat G.91 and the Mystère XXVI. Prototypes of each design were ordered. The first G.91 flew on 9 August
151:
In
December 1953, NATO Supreme Command, realizing that a few, expensive and complex fighters located on few airbases were very vulnerable in case of a nuclear war, issued a specification for a new light tactical support aircraft. Aircraft manufacturers within NATO countries were invited to submit
368:
competition for VSTOL aircraft, but that did not result in a common aircraft design. In the end, the last G.91s were retired by
Germany in 1982 and Italy in 1995 respectively, while the final
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in France in
September 1957. The Italian aircraft performed most impressively and in consequence, in January 1958, the Fiat G.91 was officially declared the competition winner.
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from the United States. The
Americans agreed to provide some of the finance for the French, German and Italian aircraft and pay for the planned Turkish aircraft.
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Given the large economic and commercial interests at stake, there was a certain amount of controversy surrounding the decision. After the loss of the G.91
200:
The challenge of providing an engine that matched the requirements of lightness and power, reliability and ease of maintenance was solved by using the
333:) placed the largest order based on the competition. The Luftwaffe was originally to have received fifty G.91R and twenty G.91T two-seaters from the
135:(NATO) committee in the 1950s detailing the specification of future combat aircraft designs. The requirement was for a "light weight tactical
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G.91.) The licence production was subsequently increased to 294 aircraft, bringing the total to 344. The G.91R/3 equipped four newly formed
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due to aeroelastic vibration on 20 February 1957, the French government decided to pursue development of the locally designed
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156:. The competition was intended to produce a combat aircraft that was light, small and equipped with basic weapons and
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592:
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279:, in the hands of Chief Test Pilot Riccardo Bignamini. Gérard Muselli flew the first Mystère XXVI, now named
263:(France). Although its development is considered a factor which motivated NATO to issue the requirement, the
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A maximum of 2,200 kilograms (4,900 lb) empty weight and 4,700 kilograms (10,400 lb) max weight
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160:. It should also be able to operate from dispersed airfields and require minimal ground support.
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which was a way for the US to support weapons procurement for members of the NATO alliance.
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543:"Video: Last Operational Catapult Launch for French Navy Super Etendard Modernisé Fighter"
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production lines and a further 232 G.91R manufactured under licence in
Germany by the
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production. In contrast, the
Italian government preemptively ordered the G.91 for the
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The three rivals were sent for evaluation trials at the Centre d'Essais en Vol at
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231:. Designs were required within two months of the competition and submitted to
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314:. The British government similarly ignored the competition to concentrate on
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Designs were submitted by manufacturers from many NATO countries, including
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28:
372:, the ultimate derivative of the unsuccessful Étendard VI, served with
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609:. Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1976.
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Range of 280 km (170 mi) with 10 minutes over the target
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from rough airfields and having simple maintenance requirements.
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The G.91 was to be replaced in the 1960s by the winner of the
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619:
Niccoli, Riccado. "Fiat G.91, NATO's
Lightweight Fighter"
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207:. The development of the Orpheus was funded from the US
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4 Ă— 12.7 mm (0.50 in) or 2 Ă— 20mm or 30mm guns
572:. Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK: Sampson Low Guides, 1980.
508:
412:
239:. The committee assessed eight projects, including the
139:(LWTSF)" capable of carrying both conventional and
322:before the results of the competition were known.
174:Capability to operate from grass strips and roads
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357:("light attack wings"), often replacing former
171:distance over a 15 m (49 ft) obstacle
598:Ferrari, Massimo. "Addio G.91R" (in Italian).
470:, 2(46), 3 October 1957, p. 10. ISSN 0262-4079
465:"Fighter Competition with a Worthwhile Prize".
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478:
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287:. The Breguet Taon followed on 26 July 1957.
267:itself was not evaluated in the competition.
214:
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187:Armoured protection for the pilot and the
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568:Angelucci, Enzo and Paolo Matricardi.
514:Angelucci and Matricardi 1980, p. 274
425:Angelucci and Matricardi 1980, p. 273
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607:German Military Aviation 1956–1976
545:. Naval Recognition. 17 March 2016
209:Mutual Weapons Development Program
133:North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
16:NATO aircraft design specification
14:
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163:The technical requirements were:
125:NATO Basic Military Requirement 1
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51:Development of military aircraft
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370:Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard
131:) was a document produced by a
108:G.91 officially declared winner
621:International Air Power Review
587:. London: Lorenz Books, 2002.
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458:
437:
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1:
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167:1,100 m (3,600 ft)
359:Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
7:
445:"Progress with the Orpheus"
395:Lightweight Fighter program
383:
154:Light Weight Strike Fighter
10:
654:
297:
285:Melun Villaroche Aerodrome
215:Submissions and selections
37:lightweight strike fighter
570:Combat Aircraft 1945–1960
454:, p. 21, 5 July 1957
112:
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96:
88:
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623:. Volume 7, Winter 2002.
235:under the leadership of
202:Bristol Siddeley Orpheus
141:tactical nuclear weapons
496:"NATO's Strike Fighter"
355:Leichte Kampfgeschwader
325:In the end, the German
283:, on 15 March 1956 at
638:20th-century aviation
504:: 556. 25 April 1958.
374:French Naval Aviation
249:Dassault Mystère XXVI
74:Dassault Mystère XXVI
532:Jackson 1974, p. 25.
523:Crosby 2002, p. 183.
482:Niccoli 2002, p. 168
434:Ferrari 1992, p. 83.
312:Dassault Étendard VI
245:Breguet Br.1001 Taon
152:their designs for a
351:Arbeitsgemeinschaft
241:Aerfer Sagittario 2
237:Theodore von Kármán
43:General information
33:The winning entry,
605:Jackson, Paul A.
583:Crosby, Francis.
320:Italian Air Force
292:Brétigny-sur-Orge
261:Sud-Est Baroudeur
177:Maximum speed of
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70:Bréguet 1001 Taon
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585:Fighter Aircraft
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257:Northrop N-156
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468:New Scientist
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390:Light fighter
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147:Specification
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600:RID magazine
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562:Bibliography
547:. Retrieved
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271:1956 at the
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265:Folland Gnat
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349:companies (
281:Étendard VI
48:Project for
401:References
378:AĂ©ronavale
275:airfield,
259:(USA) and
251:(France),
247:(France),
189:fuel tanks
181: 0.95
113:Successors
66:Prototypes
406:Citations
331:Luftwaffe
308:prototype
255:(Italy),
253:Fiat G.91
243:(Italy),
97:Concluded
89:Initiated
78:Fiat G.91
56:Issued by
35:Fiat G.91
632:Category
549:17 March
384:See also
227:and the
205:turbojet
158:avionics
361:units.
347:Heinkel
339:Dornier
298:Outcome
273:Caselle
169:takeoff
105:Outcome
84:History
613:
591:
576:
501:Flight
452:Flight
366:NBMR-3
221:France
129:NBMR-1
117:NBMR-3
22:NBMR-1
448:(pdf)
277:Turin
233:AGARD
225:Italy
611:ISBN
589:ISBN
574:ISBN
551:2016
345:and
335:Fiat
179:Mach
100:1958
92:1953
60:NATO
634::
498:.
487:^
475:^
450:,
414:^
341:,
223:,
595:.
580:.
553:.
376:(
329:(
127:(
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