Eurofighter Typhoon - Italian documentary: The Heir to a century of air power (Long version)
Video from the channel Eurofighter Typhoon about Eurofighter Typhoon, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 11:21. Language: Italian. Video type: Documentary.
What it's about
Italian-language documentary from Eurofighter's official channel that presents the Typhoon as the heir to a century of fighter aviation. It traces the evolution of the Italian aviation industry from the First World War to today's European programme.
Historical context
It opens with Francesco Baracca and the Red Baron, and explains that until the mid-1930s fighters were lattice-structured biplanes, built almost by hand. In the 1920s the ministry gave Fiat the lead in fighters. Even so, Macchi, with about 250 employees, drew on its Schneider Trophy experience and in 1937 achieved a retractable-gear monoplane. Powered by German engines built under licence, the Macchi 202 and 205 are considered the best Italian fighters of the Second World War. The 700 km/h record set by the Macchi 72 became the norm in 1945 and the limit for piston engines. After the hybrid Caproni Campini came the American F-84 Thunderjet and Thunderstreak. Since then the Italian industry has worked on international programmes, such as the Fiat G.91, chosen by NATO and built in more than 750 units, and the Tornado, which first flew in August 1974 and exceeded 900 units built across Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Key facts
The video describes the Eurofighter as Europe's largest industrial collaboration programme, with 100,000 jobs, 24,000 of them in Italy, and a structure made of more than 80% carbon fibre. A military pilot who has been on the programme since 1993 and has around 500 hours on the aircraft explains that its engine has changed tactical employment. It is used by Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria and Saudi Arabia.