BREDA Ba.27

Breda Ba.27 fighter in Chinese Service.

Resemblance of the Breda 27 to the American Boeing P-26 was obvious but coincidental. (MM 218)

The Breda 27 was an externally-braced low-wing fighter with fixed landing gear, bearing a marked resemblance to the Boeing P-26. However, the Breda 27 was an entirely distinct design in spite of the many common features. If any design directly influenced it, the more likely candidate was the Travel Air Model R imported by Italy in the early 1930·s. Powered by an Alfa Romeo Mercurius IV radial engine, the Breda 27 was produced in 1934 primarily for export. Armament was two 7.7-mm. Breda SAFAT machine guns. The prototype Breda 27 had a two-bladed wood airscrew, short-chord cowling, and further-aft cockpit.

When the Chinese government invited Italy to send an Air Mission to replace an unofficial American group which had been withdrawn after complaints by the Japanese, a small number of Breda 27 fighters were supplied, equipping one Chinese squadron during 1935-38. Claimed performance included a maximum speed of 236 m.p.h., a landing speed of 62 m.p.h., and a ceiling of 29,520 It. A time of 7 min. 30 sec. was given for a climb to 16,400 ft. Empty and loaded weights were 2772 lb. and 2938 lb. Dimensions were: span 31 ft. 1 in., length 24 ft. 11 in., height 11 ft. 2 in., and wing area 203 sq. ft.