Stefano Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) Hello Everybody, The Italian Airforce museum at Vigna di Valle is about 40km northwest of Rome on Lake Bracciano, and for once there are very few reasons to be apologetic about an Italian museum. The setting is spectacular, the layout very good, with none of the down at heel feeling that you usually get in Italy (or at Hendon for that matter), and the quality of the exhibits is generally excellent, allied to the fact that most of the italian stuff on show is beyond rare. The first three halls are immaculate with (thankfully) no audiovisual rubbish taking up space. Funnily enough, the WW 1 hall is an ex Austro Hungarian hangar that the Italians got as part of War Reparations, whilst the WW2 hangar dates from 1930 (Vigna di Valle was a flying boat base). The fourth hall is being brought up to scratch at the moment so alot of the postwar exhibits can't be seen, but if the museum just consisted of the three Schneider Trophy 'planes under a leaky tent it would still be worth the visit... Museo Storico Aeronautica Militare Aeroporto Vigna di Valle 00062 Bracciano Rome Tel. 06 99 88 75 00 Opening Times:- 01/06 - 30/09 09:30 - 17:00 01/10 - 31/05 09:30 - 16:00 Closed Mondays, Christmas Day, New Years Day and Easter Sunday Entrance is free Photos below are of:- Caproni Ca. 3 - Spad 7 Macchi M.39 - Macchi castoldi M.C. 72 Suface Radiators of the M.C. 72 - Fiat C.R. 42 Savoia Marchetti S.M. 79 - Macchi M.C. 202 Savoia Marchetti S.M. 82 - Macchi M.C. 205 North American P 51 - D - Fiat G. 212 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX - De Havilland DH 113 Edited January 2, 2009 by Stefano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuno Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Some very rare planes!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 What is the odd looking tri-prop plane, the one with a number 5 on its nose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevpol Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 nice place!!!! Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 What is the odd looking tri-prop plane, the one with a number 5 on its nose? That is an Italian bomber, cannot think of it's name at the moment. Maachi or something ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuno Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 It is not a bomber but a transport plane - as per the original description in the first post it is a Fiat G.212 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefano Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) It is not a bomber but a transport plane - as per the original description in the first post it is a Fiat G.212 Yup, Basically the G. 212 was an uprated version of the Fiat G.12 transport plane (bigger fuselage). It was already on the drawing board in 1943, but due to the way the war was going did not actually fly until 1947. Originally equipped with three 860hp Alfa Romeo 128's, the later models received three Pratt & Whitney R 1830 twin Wasps with a slightly more comforting 1065hp per engine, and after having seen civilian service, were used by the Italian Air force up until the late fifties. Out of the nineteen built, the 212 at Vigna di Valle is the only survivor, and possibly the only three engined Fiat extant. Edited January 2, 2009 by Stefano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 A very clean bright and organized place , Thanks for the posting always good to have things to add to the list of places one want's to visit . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 What a mix, something for everybody there. Intresting to note how many companies we associate with vehicles also had or have avation connections. FIAT, FORD, ROLLS ROYCE ,BMW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuno Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 ...and what is the plane with the Maltese cross behind the Mustang? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefano Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 ...and what is the plane with the Maltese cross behind the Mustang? Kuno, It's The Savoia Marchetti SM. 82, seen from the side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuno Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Good. But why the Maltese cross? Would have presumed that the Maltese had planes of British origin (if they had something like this - this size). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 A fabulous collection. These Italian planes are very appealing to the eye. Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefano Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 (edited) Good. But why the Maltese cross? Would have presumed that the Maltese had planes of British origin (if they had something like this - this size). Kuno, I had a vague idea that the Maltese cross on the S.M. 82's fuselage had something to do with Order of Malta so I looked it up and this is the basic jist.- The S.M.O.M. (Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta), Is an internationally recognised extraterritorial Christian organisation based in Rome (on similar lines to the Vatican State and the Republic of San Marino in that it issues passports, stamps etc, but differs in not having an autonomous territory) that traces it's roots back to the 10th century. From 1530 until the French occupation in 1798 it governed Malta, and at one time posessed the strongest fleet in the Mediterranean. Nowadays it collaborates with the Italian Armed forces with humanitarian aid and provides relief around the world in collaboration with the U.N. The S.M. 82 therefore in all probability carries the Maltese cross as well as the Italian Air Force markings because it was last used as a hospital aeroplane. I must admit that I'm still trying to get my head around the idea of a sovreign state with absolutely no territorial aspirations but there you go.... Cheers, Stefano Edited January 4, 2009 by Stefano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreadavide Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 According to the surrender of Italy to the allied forces at the end of WWII, the Air Force transport fleet of Savoia Marchetti SM82 should have been destroyed. However they could have been useful for relief operations nd such proved just after the war. We must bear in mind that, for instance, just from the land surrended to Yugoslavia, the refugees coming to Italy amounted to some hundred of thousand of people. So the planes were given to the Military Branch of the Order of Malta, thatis an organisation consiedere, under international law, as an autonomous state. Of course the Order of Malta had kept neutral in WWII, so they could use the planes for international rescue and relief operations. The planes were, however, flown and paid for by the italian Air Force. Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuno Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Very interesting information! Thanks a lot for that!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I think the word I am looking for is WOW! - what a fantastic collection. I can remember buying the Airfix kit of the SM79 from the old Beatties store at High Holborn in about 1974. great stuff! MB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuno Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 ...I still did not manage to visit that museum :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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