AEROPLANE TO AEROPLANO

       International Observers in Italian Eastern Africa      By Gianclaudio Polidori (Translated and edited by Leonardo Pavese).      Between January and March 1936, during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, a commission of foreign officers was accompanied to Eastern Africa to show the evidence of fair play on the part of the Italian forces, since the European adversaries of Italy insisted on the accusation of the use of illicit means in the conduct of the war. The Italians also wanted to demonstrate the operational capabilities of their military forces in that theatre. Some of the international observers with Italian General Staff officers. In the background: S.81s of the 63rd Squadriglia of the 24th Group, 9th Stormo B.T. (9th Land Bomber Wing) of the Italian Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force), based in Gura, Eritrea.       The head of the mission was Lieutenant Colonel Paolo Angioy, a mutilated, decorated veteran of...

     Every now and then, I find beautiful and interesting historical pictures of Italian aircraft and the people around them, probably rarely seen in the Anglosphere.      I hope you will find them interesting too.      Your comments will be greatly appreciated.        Thank you.      Rome, Centocelle Airport (now closed), April 15, 1909. The Wright brothers were in Italy to show their airplane and hopefully win over more clients. The first airplane to fly in Italy had been Delagrange’s Voisin, on May 25,1908.    1919. The Royal Army wants to contribute to the development of air transportation. A SVA (Savoia Verduzio Ansaldo) of the 66th Fighter Squadriglia of the Italian Royal Army is loading the mail for the Pisa, Piacenza, Milan, Turin postal route.           The Caproni Ca.1 (Ca.300 HP) three-engine airplane was a former bomber, r...