Ambrosini SAI.207

The SAI.207 was developed from the Ambrosini SAI.7 racing and sporting monoplane after the light fighter concept had been proven with the Ambrosini SAI.207 prototype. Stefanutti designed the aircraft to have a lightweight structure and light armament to allow lower-powered engines to be used, without unduly reducing performance.

The first of three prototypes was completed and flown in the autumn of 1940. The SAI.207 was a fighter development of the SAI.7, with identical dimensions, apart from length, at {{convert|8.02|m|ftin|abbr=on|}} and the {{convert|402.7|kW|hp|abbr=on|0}} Isotta Fraschini Gamma engine. Weighing only {{convert|1,000|kg|lb|abbr=on|0}} the Sai.107 reached a speed of {{convert|563|km/h|mph|abbr=on|0}} in trials held at the Guidonia research establishment and manoeuvrability proved to be excellent. The SAI.107 was lost, along with pilot Arturo Ferrarin, in a crash on 18 July 1941.

Two more fighter prototypes were built as SAI.207s, flying for the first time in the spring of 1941 and 1942.

The SAI.207 was a single-seat, low-wing monoplane with a conventional tail-wheel undercarriage, developed from the Ambrosini SAI.7. Its lightweight wooden construction, combined with a {{convert|560|kW|hp|abbr=on|0}} Isotta Fraschini Delta R.C.40 inverted-V engine,{{Cite web|url=http://www.cmchant.com/ambrosini-sai-207-and-sai-403-ww2-fighters|title = Wooden fighters of World War II - the Ambrosini SAI.207 and SAI.403|date = 27 October 2014}}{{Dead link|date=February 2025}} with a center-line cooling air intake, provided speed and agility. Armament consisted of two fuselage-mounted {{convert|12.7|mm|in|abbr=on|3}} Breda-SAFAT machine guns.

In level-flight the performance of the SAI.207 was impressive. It achieved a speed of {{convert|580|km/h|mph|abbr=on|0}}Cattaneo 2005, pp. 20–21. and over {{convert|800|km/h|mph|abbr=on|0}} in a dive. The Ministero dell'Aeronautica soon placed a production order for 2,000 machines, plus a pre-production batch of 12 aircraft for operational testing. After the mixed results of operational evaluation and the signing of the Armistice, no production aircraft were built.

File:SAI-207.jpg

Flight testing revealed some major shortcomings, most of which were not rectified before the Armistice with the Allies in 1943; the low power and high wing loading resulted in poor climb performance; the light structure prevented more powerful cannon from being used as the recoil forces overstressed the mounting structure; the rear cylinders of the engine overheated during recovery from a dive; the light structure also led to problems, with the second prototype wing exploding during a dive recovery due to internal pressure built up, caused by the lack of internal fairings in the undercarriage bays. The wooden structure was also badly affected by rain or humidity.

The pre-production batch of 12 aircraft served briefly with three squadrons. The first was 83rd Squadriglia, 18 Gruppo, 3 Stormo, led by Guglielmo Specker, one of the Regia Aeronauticas best known "aces", at Cerveteri airfield, near Rome. The aircraft entered service in July 1943, flying a number of combat missions against heavy Allied raids over the Italian capital, but without success. After one month, they were sent to Castiglione del Lago G. Eleuteri airfield (at that time one of the main Regia Aeronautica training airbases and near Ambrosini's factory), where it was planned that 161 and 162nd Squadriglia would take the aircraft into service.

Despite its speed, Italian pilots were not impressed by the type and its service in the summer of 1943 quickly ended. The aircraft of 83rd Squadriglia were returned to SAI-Ambrosini to be refurbished, but the Armistice made it impossible for them to return to their squadron.

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930–1945{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Jonathan W.|title=Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930–1945|publisher=Aero Publishers Inc.|location=New York|year=1963|edition=1st|pages=14–15|isbn=0-8168-6500-0}}

|prime units?=met

|genhide=

|crew=1

|capacity=

|length m=8

|length ft=26

|length in=3.75

|length note=

|span m=9

|span ft=29

|span in=6.5

|width note=

|height m=

|height ft=9

|height in=5

|height note=

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=149.6

|wing area note=

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb= 3858

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb= 5324

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight lb=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|lift kg=

|lift lb=

|lift note=

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Isotta Fraschini Delta

|eng1 type=III R.C.40 inverted V-12 engine

|eng1 kw= 560

|eng1 hp= 750

|eng1 shp=

|eng1 kn=

|eng1 lbf=

|eng1 note=

|power original=

|thrust original=

|eng1 kn-ab=

|eng1 lbf-ab=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=398

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=

|max speed mach=

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=304

|cruise speed kts=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|minimum control speed kmh=

|minimum control speed mph=

|minimum control speed kts=

|minimum control speed note=

|range km=

|range miles=528

|range nmi=

|range note=

|combat range km=

|combat range miles=

|combat range nmi=

|combat range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range nmi=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=39400

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|glide ratio=

|climb rate ms=13.25

|climb rate ftmin=2600

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude={{convert|6000|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 7 minutes 33 seconds

|sink rate ms=

|sink rate ftmin=

|sink rate note=

|lift to drag=

|wing loading kg/m2=

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|disk loading kg/m2=

|disk loading lb/sqft=

|disk loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

|power/mass=

|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|guns= 2 × {{convert|12.7|mm|in|abbr=on|3}} Breda-SAFAT machine guns

|bombs=

|rockets=

|missiles=

|hardpoints=

|hardpoint capacity=

|hardpoint rockets=

|hardpoint missiles=

|hardpoint bombs=

|hardpoint other=

|avionics=

}}

{{aircontent

|related=

|similar aircraft=

• Bell XP-77
• Caudron C.714
• Douglas XP-48
• Miles M.20
• Roussel R-30
• Tucker XP-57

|lists=

• List of aircraft of World War II
• List of aircraft of Italy in World War II

|see also=

}}

{{commons category|Ambrosini SAI.207}}

;Notes

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography

{{refbegin}}

• Angelucci, Enzo and Paolo Matricardi. World Aircraft: World War II, Volume II (Sampson Low Guides). Maidenhead, UK: Sampson Low, 1978. {{ISBN|0-562-00096-8}}.
• Cattaneo, Gianni. SAI-Ambrosini 207 e derivati (in Italian & English). Roma, Italy: La Bancarella Aeronautica, 2005.
• Emiliani, Angelo. "Il Volo e la Scaramanzia" (in Italian). Storia Militare magazine No.77, February 2000.
• Green, William. Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Two: Fighters. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1961.
• {{cite magazine |last= Lembo |first= Daniele |title=I caccia SAI-Ambrosini |lang=it |magazine=Aerei nella Storia |number=39 |date= December 2003}}
• Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989.

{{refend}}

{{Ambrosini aircraft}}

{{Portal bar|Italy|Companies|Aviation}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ambrosini Sai.207}}

Category:SAI Ambrosini aircraft

Category:1940s Italian fighter aircraft

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Low-wing aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1941

Category:Single-engined piston aircraft

Category:Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear