AEROPLANE TO AEROPLANO

      The  FIAT G.50bis in Croatia      By Decio Zorini (Translated and edited by L. Pavese)      In 1940, several modifications were identified and made to improve the FIAT G.50 as an interceptor, including removing the fragmentation bomb bay and streamlining the rear fuselage. However, the tailwheel remained fixed instead of retractable as planned. The powerplant was unchanged, and performance remained largely the same despite slight increases in empty and gross weight. Designated the G.50bis, the new variant first flew in September 1940, though deliveries did not begin until April 1941. It was then deployed alongside the original G.50 on most operational fronts. From 1941 to 1943, several Squadriglie operated in the Balkans, including Greece and Albania.      In October 1941, the Italian Mission in the Kingdom of Croatia received a request for military aid, including medium tanks, armored cars, fighter, bomber, and li...

     The genesis of the Meteor P0      T he first modern Italian drone       by Carlo Siardi (translated by L. Pavese       The word “drone” is now familiar to nearly everyone, surrounded as we are by news of these unmanned aircraft, often portrayed as novel, highly innovative, and somewhat mysterious. Yet drones also have a history—one largely unknown but well worth telling.      Surprisingly, Italy was a cradle of European drone development. And, since the beginning,  the country has produced unmanned aircraft ranging from high-performance, radio-controlled aerial targets capable of high-transonic speeds to multispectral reconnaissance and surveillance drones able to remain aloft for up to twenty-four hours.      This article traces the little-known origins of the Meteor P0, the ancestor of all Italian drones.      Sixty-seven years ago, the first Meteor P0 made ...

       Our  era is not only marked by a conventional date, but also by new concrete factors among which there is the entity of atmospheric radioactivity and its consequences. Dramatic chasms in time    by Roberto Vacca (Traduzione di Leonardo Pavese) We use the dates of significant events to mark periods of time or the beginning of new eras. World War II ended in the summer of 1945. Since then, we have been in the “postwar time.” This new era is not only marked by a conventional date, but also by new concrete factors among which there is the entity of atmospheric radioactivity and its consequences. Among the sources of natural atmospheric radioactivity, the polluting radon gas is at the top of the list. Radioactive radon is produced by the natural decaying of the uranium chain. Cosmic rays are another important source of radioactivity in the air. The artificial causes are the use of radioactive materials in healthcare, scientific research and ra...

This is an "old," 2012 translation which had reverted to a draft, but I decided to republish. I thinks it's still relevant. I hope you will find it interesting. About a month ago (this is what I wrote in 2012) on James Altucher 's very popular blog,  someone asked a question: how do you find ethics without religion? (You can read the question and answer section right here: http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2012/02/ask-james-global-warming-facebook-more-crappy-people-and-how-many-dates-before-you-know/  ) I believe Italian author Francesco Agnoli gives a very convincing answer in this page of his book: " Perché non possiamo essere atei" (Why we can't be atheists). The book was published by the Italian publisher Piemme in 2009. I translated and edited the page, for brevity, previous permission from UCCR, Unione Cristiani Cattolici Razionali. You can find the original article in Italian here:   http://www.uccronline.it/2012/02/22/ha-senso-la-morale-sen...