Hi Guys, for those of you who don't read my travels in Europe page, here are some images from the superb Museo Storica Dell'Aeronautico Militare, the Italian Air Force museum on the shore of Lago di Bracchiano, about an hour by train outside of Rome.
Piaggio P.166.
P.166
This crane was used to lift flying boats and seaplanes out of the water and dates to the 1930s. Grumman Albatri were based here for SAR duties.
HU-16 Crane
The seaplane and flying boat park on the shore of Lake Bracchiano. Note the watchtower. This is the oldest airfield - there is more to it as a functioning military base beyond the museum, in Italy and research into lighter-than-aircraft took place beginning in the early 1900s.
Lago di Bracchiano
The unusual Barchino Idroplano (or Idroscivolante) hydrofoil powered by an aircraft engine and driven by those two monstrous propellers.
Barchina Idroplano
The only surviving original Lohner L flying boat, with a SPAD VII, Macchi Hanriot HD.1 and Ansaldo SVA behind.
Lohner front
Airship engineer and explorer Umberto Nobile's dog Titina, who travelled with him on his various adventures, including during his exploration of the Arctic.
Titina
Macchi M.39 that won the 1926 Schneir Trophy race held at Hampton Roads in the USA, with a bust of its pilot Mario Di Bernardi at the right.
M.39 side
The Mighty world record holding Macchi MC.72.
MC.72
It's Fiat AS.6 V24 engine.
Fiat AS.6
Fiat classic biplane fighters, CR.32.
CR.32
CR.42.
CR.42 front
And Fiat's entry into the best looking WW2 fighter competition, the G.55.
G.55
SM.79 Sparviero.
SM.79 front
Macchi MC.200, one of three of Mario Castoldi's fighter designs on display.
MC.200 side
SM.82 Kanguru and P-51, with Fiat G.212 behind.
SM.82 P-51
Cant Z.506 Airones were based within this hangar, Hangar Badoni during WW2.
Z.506
Fiat G-91Y.
G-91Y
Colourful F-84G.
F-84G
The first Italian aircraft to exceed the speed of sound, Aerfer Sagittario II.
Sagittario II
Frecce Tricolori MB.339.
MB.339
Gallery of images here: Museo Storica Dell'Aeronautico Militare
Thanks for looking.
Piaggio P.166.
This crane was used to lift flying boats and seaplanes out of the water and dates to the 1930s. Grumman Albatri were based here for SAR duties.
The seaplane and flying boat park on the shore of Lake Bracchiano. Note the watchtower. This is the oldest airfield - there is more to it as a functioning military base beyond the museum, in Italy and research into lighter-than-aircraft took place beginning in the early 1900s.
The unusual Barchino Idroplano (or Idroscivolante) hydrofoil powered by an aircraft engine and driven by those two monstrous propellers.
The only surviving original Lohner L flying boat, with a SPAD VII, Macchi Hanriot HD.1 and Ansaldo SVA behind.
Airship engineer and explorer Umberto Nobile's dog Titina, who travelled with him on his various adventures, including during his exploration of the Arctic.
Macchi M.39 that won the 1926 Schneir Trophy race held at Hampton Roads in the USA, with a bust of its pilot Mario Di Bernardi at the right.
The Mighty world record holding Macchi MC.72.
It's Fiat AS.6 V24 engine.
Fiat classic biplane fighters, CR.32.
CR.42.
And Fiat's entry into the best looking WW2 fighter competition, the G.55.
SM.79 Sparviero.
Macchi MC.200, one of three of Mario Castoldi's fighter designs on display.
SM.82 Kanguru and P-51, with Fiat G.212 behind.
Cant Z.506 Airones were based within this hangar, Hangar Badoni during WW2.
Fiat G-91Y.
Colourful F-84G.
The first Italian aircraft to exceed the speed of sound, Aerfer Sagittario II.
Frecce Tricolori MB.339.
Gallery of images here: Museo Storica Dell'Aeronautico Militare
Thanks for looking.