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Post by planecrazy on Jul 4, 2023 9:14:09 GMT 12
Very fortunate and privilaged on my travels to visit the extensive collection of the Italian Air Force museum. Firstly a massive thank you to forum contributor Nuuumannn who kindly gave me some great tips on how to get there. Visiting is a bit of a mission as I was in Rome, the museum is located at an old Sea plane base shores of Lake Bracchiano. Caught a train some 30klms north then a taxi to and from. By pure fluke/luck the I was there the day the museum had re-opend after an extensive nearly two year do-over this year being the 100 Year anniversary of the Italian Air Force. Early flight and WWII.    A replica of one of these three engine Caproni bombers recently flew in Italy.   Interesting rear gunners position.   The Italian designed Ansaldo SVA, reported two be one of the fastest production Aeroplanes of WW I.    Parasol winged Ansaldo.  Not an aeroplane but a boat that flies on foils with chain driven props.  More soon…… |
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Post by Mustang51 on Jul 4, 2023 11:29:01 GMT 12
Please Sir, may I have some more............
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Post by tbf2504 on Jul 4, 2023 12:57:43 GMT 12
What a wonderful collection of very early aircraft, in all in immaculate condition
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Post by planecrazy on Jul 4, 2023 15:14:28 GMT 12
Yes the aeroplanes and the buildings they are housed in to a very high standard, credit to those responsable for looking after such historical gems. Beautiful little Caproni Ca.100 (1930’s)  Couple of IMAM seaplane and fixed gear (mid 1930's)   The pre war seaplane racers were something I really wanted to see and after knowing about and seeing pictures to be along side all four within the collection wow what a treat and not only mind boggling engineering for their era simply stunning in their lines and looks. Hopefully I got the correct name and date for each machine? Macchi M.39 (1925)  Fiat C.29 (1929)   Macchi M.67 (1929)   Pick of the bunch for me, Macchi-Castoldi MC.72, (1933) twin in line V12 with counter rotating propellers, what a machine!  Fiat CR.32   Fiat CR.42 “Falco”  More soon…….. |
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jul 4, 2023 16:58:42 GMT 12
Wow those seaplanes are something else. A great looking museum.
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Jul 4, 2023 17:55:29 GMT 12
Some seriously historic airframes there!
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Post by Antonio on Jul 4, 2023 19:25:51 GMT 12
The apparent size of the building is also impressive.
What I like is the uncluttered appearance too, you would be able to study the whole of each airframe.
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Post by planecrazy on Jul 5, 2023 17:15:18 GMT 12
Thanks folks, yes the buildings are great, they had just finished a nearly two year renovation of the display spaces, the day I visited was the re-opening. The aeroplanes are roped off with low fences, I cheat a bit with my photos, camera mounted on a monopod you will notice a lot of the pic’s from a high angle, gives a bit of a different look. WWII era, fighters, I realise the two biplanes in the last section did fly in WW II. Macchi C.200 Saetta  Reggiane Re.2000, recovered from a lake in 2013  Reggiane Re.2002   Like the seaplane racers I really wanted to see the inverted V12 fighters, the three in the images below where made by two different manufactures. Be very interested to hear if any one knows if there was calboration between the companies as they all look very similar. Italian’s are renown for the look and style of pretty much everything they make, their WW II high performance fighters not only look great they have great paint jobs. Macchi MR. 205 Veltro      Macchi MR. 202 Folgore    Fiat G.55 Centaro, according to wikipedia even the Germans believed the G59 was the best all round production fighter of WW II.     More soon the larger stuff…. |
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Jul 5, 2023 18:57:07 GMT 12
Really enjoying these so far, I've had an interest in Italian aircraft for a long time, this collection really is a rather comprehensive lineup of the classics isn't it! I also did a double take as I have a scale model of that very same Re.2002 in my display cabinet - looks like I got the green slightly the wrong shade but it's not too far off.  You can appreciate why the high speed aeroplanes of the fixed pitch propeller days were all seaplanes too - those props are so coarse the low speed acceleration and performance must have been horrendous. |
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Post by planecrazy on Jul 6, 2023 7:27:21 GMT 12
An amazing collection, looking back through the pictures reminds me of not only the size of the place but also how many pieces they house. There are over 100 airframes in the collection, so onto some of the heavier metal. Fiat G.212   Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 Marsupiale, like the Fiat above this machine was multi role used as a transport and a bomber very similar in appearance.  Cant Z.506 Airone, pictures don’t really do justice to the size of these aeroplanes.   Savoia-Marchetti SM79 Sparviero, another one I was very keen to see, again showing off those unique Italian lines.    Forward facing fixed machine gun a unique feature.  Few odds and sods next……. |
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Post by Mustang51 on Jul 6, 2023 16:23:30 GMT 12
Absolutely love the Cant and the SM79. Was fortunate to have a flight in a G.59-1B flown by Guido Z....what an experience. If I may be so bold, and I may be wrong, is the aircraft marked G.59 actually a G.55?
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Post by planecrazy on Jul 6, 2023 18:27:13 GMT 12
Absolutely love the Cant and the SM79. Was fortunate to have a flight in a G.59-1B flown by Guido Z....what an experience. If I may be so bold, and I may be wrong, is the aircraft marked G.59 actually a G.55? Correct Ando and have corrected thank you.....I remember Guido's G59 early in life all silver as a two seater then desert scheme as a single seater. Have some footage of her at the Harvey Bay airshow maybe in the 1990's. She won Grand Champion at Oshkosh way back when. Poor quality shot of her up at Toowoomba.  |
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Post by planecrazy on Jul 6, 2023 18:29:39 GMT 12
Before I move onto the fast stuff a few of what I’m going to call odds and sods as I jump around a bit here. Libratore Bonomi BS.17 Allievo Cantu. 1930’s all wood construction.  Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, bit of a fan of short field aeroplanes, perhaps the granddaddy of STOL.  Seen a couple of these but never with the wings stowed, great feature for transport and stowage.  Stinson L-5 Sentinel, another very capable of short field aeroplane.  Macchi M.B.308.  Aermacchi MB.308 Macchino.  SIAI-Marchetti SF.260.  North American T-6 Texan.  Note the canopy supports, less of them than the RNZAF jobs.  SAI-Ambrosini S.7 Superette.  Probably over mentioned how good some of these machines look another beautiful looking 1939 racer.  Nardi FN.305.  Fiat G.46-4A .  Fiat G59.  Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX.   North American P51D.  |
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Jul 6, 2023 20:05:10 GMT 12
I'm impressed by how immaculate all the aircraft look, and in a reasonably genuine way rather than the overly shiny appearance museum aircraft sometimes have.
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Post by oj on Jul 6, 2023 20:55:01 GMT 12
Outstanding stuff!
re the Savoia-Marchetti SM79 Sparviero:
Fascinating how the engine nacelle leading edge is also the exhaust manifold.
No anti-icing boots needed ...
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Post by Mustang51 on Jul 7, 2023 10:49:29 GMT 12
That Mustang is absolutely gorgeous..........is it just me or does the Spitfire (amongst the others) look very pedestrian?
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Post by ZacYates on Jul 7, 2023 12:19:58 GMT 12
Fantastic shots Peter, this museum has been on my To Do list for some time so I appreciate getting to see so much of it. Macchi M.B.308. Does anyone else remember one of these living at Masterton for while in the late 1990s/early 2000s? I have very strong memories of a news item in Classic Wings Downunder. |
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Post by Mustang51 on Jul 7, 2023 16:03:54 GMT 12
There was something "Italian" in the half hangar next to Camden Museum of Aviation in the late 60's which, I think, resembles this Macchi. Seem to recall it was very noisy.......
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Naki.
Flying Officer
Posts: 65
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Post by Naki. on Jul 7, 2023 17:34:29 GMT 12
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Jul 7, 2023 19:27:45 GMT 12
The wheels on the MB308 don't look particularly well suited to typical NZ field conditions.
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You can appreciate why the high speed aeroplanes of the fixed pitch propeller days were all seaplanes too - those props are so coarse the low speed acceleration and performance must have been horrendous.
