Pomilio Gamma

Pomilio

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1910s
Headquarters	Turin , Italy

The Pomilio Gamma was an Italian fighter prototype developed in 1918.

Gamma

The Turin-based Pomilio company designed and built the Gamma, a wooden, single-seat biplane featuring a single-bay wing arrangement with unequal spans—the upper wing extended beyond the lower. It was powered by a 149-kilowatt (200-horsepower) SPA 6A water-cooled engine that drove a two-bladed tractor propeller. The aircraft had fixed landing gear with a tailskid configuration.

The initial Gamma prototype took to the skies early in 1918. An Italian official commission evaluated its performance during a demonstration, noting its speed and agility; however, they determined that its climb rate was inadequate to justify mass production.

Gamma IF

To overcome the limitations of the original design, Pomilio developed a second prototype known as the Gamma IF, which was fitted with a more potent Isotta Fraschini V.6 engine delivering 186 kilowatts (250 horsepower). This variant was also demonstrated to an official commission in 1918. Although there was initial indecision regarding its suitability for production, the commission ultimately authorized a limited order for the Gamma IF fighters during the closing weeks of World War I. Nevertheless, these aircraft did not enter operational service.

Variants

Gamma

Initial prototype powered by SPA 6A engine

Gamma IF

Second prototype equipped with Isotta Fraschini engine

Operators

Template:Country data Kingdom of Italy

• Corpo Aeronautico Militare

Specifications (Gamma IF)

Template:Aircraft specs Additional Information:

• Climb to 3,000 m (9,842 ft): 7 minutes 30 seconds

References

• Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Every Fighter Aircraft Built and Flown. New York: SMITHMARK Publishers, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.