Video Captures Newly Restored, Merlin-Powered Fiat G.59 in Flight

A newly released video is giving the world its first clear look at Fiat G.59 4B MM.53278/D-FIAT in flight following restoration.

As previously reported the aircraft, a two-seat trainer variant of the famous G.55 Centauro WW2 fighter utilizing a Rolls Royce Merlin engine, was originally built in 1950 bearing construction number #179 and served with the Italian Air Force Flight Test Wing as “RS-25” before being stored at the Museo Storico dell’Aononautica Militaire in central Italy.

In the early 1980s, the machine was acquired by a private owner in Australia, receiving restoration in Chino, California and winning the Lindbergh Award at the 1987 Oshkosh fly-in. During this time it was also adorned with fictitious Italian camouflage (seen above) in order to prevent it from being mistaken for a P-51 – an error that apparently occurred with irritating frequency.

In October 2015, MeierMotors acquired the G.59 for a local enthusiast and carried out the most recent restoration, which included the installation of an overhauled Rolls Royce Merlin engine and returning the machine to its original polished finish.

The G.59 performed its first post-restoration flight in November with chief pilot Achim Meier at the controls. Everything is said to have gone smoothly and Meier was reportedly “delighted” about how it handled.

Check out the video below to see the machine perform a check flight in December.

(MDorstFreiburg via MeierMotors GmbH Additional Information via Sanders Aeronautics Photo: Robert Frola via Wikimedia Commons Thanks, Pascal!)