The Breda Ba.88 Lince ("Lynx") was a ground-attack aircraft used by the Italian Regia Aeronautica during World War II.

Eventually its operational career was cut short, and the remaining Ba.88 airframes were used as fixed installations on airfields to mislead enemy reconnaissance.

[2] The Breda Ba.88 was designed to fulfill a 1936 requirement by the Regia Aeronautica for a heavy fighter bomber capable of a maximum speed of 530 km/h (330 mph)[3]—faster than any other aircraft existing or being planned at the time[3])—armament of 20 mm cannons and range of 2,000 km (1,200 mi).

The all-metal wings had two longerons, and housed the engine nacelles, undercarriage main elements, and the majority of the 12 self-sealing fuel tanks (the only protection in the aircraft), providing 1,586 L (419 US gal) total capacity.

A 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Breda machine gun (with 250-500 rounds) with a high arc of fire, was fitted in the rear cockpit and controlled by a complex motorised electrical system.

A modern "San Giorgio" reflector gunsight was fitted, and there was also provision to mount a 20 mm cannon instead of the central machine gun in the nose.

[3] The forward pilot's cockpit was fully instrumented, with an airspeed indicator capable of reading to 560 km/h (350 mph), gyroscope and an altimeter (useful to 8,000 m (26,000 ft).

This record speed was increased to 554 km/h (344 mph) when the modified prototype, using a double tail, was re-equipped with the definitive engines; the 746 kW (1,000 hp) Piaggio P.XI-RC40s.

This time it broke German records in a 100 km (62 mi) stage at an average speed of 554.4 km/h (344.5 mph) (with 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) load) on 5 December 1937.

Despite its promising beginning, the addition of military equipment in the production series aircraft resulted in high wing loading and detrimental aerodynamic effects with a corresponding loss of performance, below any reasonable level.

Of three aircraft used, one was not even capable of taking off, and another could not turn and was forced to fly straight from their base at Castelvetrano to Sidi Rezegh.

By mid-November, just five months after the start of the war on 10 June 1940, most surviving Ba.88s had been phased out as bombers and stripped of useful equipment, and were scattered around operational airfields as decoys for attacking aircraft.

As an additional problem, the Regia Aereonautica remained without any suitable heavy fighter, a notable weakness for a major air arm.