Django wrote:
Very cool. I like the 3 fighters. (2 cammo and the 1 dark green). The second of those 3, with the roundel... is that post war, or post fall of Mussolini?
Good question.
Above: This is the Macchi Mc 202. The '
Barracca' on the nose is the unit emblem derived from the ace from the Great War; he had a prancing horse as his logo, as later used by some car company or other. It is in the
Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force) colours of the Mussolini fascist era - 1922 - 1943 - the round disc with the three Fasces (rods with an axe bundle) inside. The royal 'House of Savoy' crest is on the tail. Seen here in another, perhaps more familiar example:
Above: This is the Macchi MC 205V. It is in the colours of the Italian forces which fought alongside the Allies - the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force (
Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana, or ACI, or
Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud), - 1943-5 and is essentially the same as the postwar colours of the
Aeronautica Militare.
This is the Fiat G.55. It is in ANR (
Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblican - National Republican Air Force) colours, the colours of the Axis puppet government, 1943-45. These are the square frame with the two Fasces.
In the Great War, as an allied combatant they were second to none with their
Alipni (mountain troops) and airmen setting a standard. While Italy entered W.W.II with a reasonably modern air force, Mussolini neglected development and infrastructure, with the result that the modern types seen above were too few and too late. Through most of the war the Italians had aircraft very roughly comparable to the Martin B-10 and Boeing P-26. The 1943 armistice was not a good time for the country.
However the Italian Air Force Museum has one of the greatest collection of rare to unique and historic aircraft; as well as what I reckon is the largest collection of military trimotors.
I had to do some checking to get that, I thought I knew it! - any corrections welcome.
Cheers,
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