The Breda Ba.27 was a fighter produced in Italy in the 1930s, used by the Chinese Nationalist Air Force in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Design and development The Ba.27 was a low-wing braced monoplane with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. As originally designed, the Ba.27 had a fuselage of steel tube construction, skinned with light corrugated alloy metal, and wooden wings and tailplane. Evaluation of the two prototypes by the Regia Aeronautica in 1933 was strongly negative, resulting in an extensive redesign of the aircraft. The fuselage shape was made more rounded and the pilot's open cockpit was moved higher and forward to improve visibility. The corrugated skinning was also replaced with smooth sheet metal. A prototype of this revised version, known as the Metallico, was first flown in June 1934, but Regia Aeronautica's appraisal was only a little more positive. Operational history Despite the lack of domestic interest, the type was ordered by the Republic of China for use against Japan. Out of eighteen machines ordered, only eleven were actually delivered. Variants Ba.27 Initial prototype, two built. Ba.27 Metallico Second improved version, twelve built. Operators Chinese Nationalist Air Force received eleven aircraft. Specifications (Metallico) See also References Bibliography External links Breda Ba.27 Breda Ba.27 Ba.027 1930s Italian fighter aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1933 Conventional landing gear