The Italian ace, ten victories on WW2 plus one during the Spanish Civil War and other four in collaboration with other pilots, warrant officer Ennio Tarantola, nickname “Banana”, fasting the parachute helped by an airman prior of boarding on its fighter, a Fiat G.55 Centauro of Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, Spring 1944, perhaps at Venaria Reale. The Tarantola’s fighter is a particular aircraft: is in effect the G.55 Sottoserie 0 military code MM91060 which, prior the transfer in charge to ANR, was employed by Fiat to test the modifications for the G.55 Serie I. Note the elevator still blocked in position “nose up”. Victor Sierra

Centauro’s pilot

Fiat G.55s Centauro Sottoserie 0 “Yellow 1” and “Yellow 8” of Squadriglia “Montefusco” in flight perhaps on the first days of 1944. At beginning Squadriglia Complementare d'Allarme, deployed at Venaria Reale, for Turin’s defence, the Squadriglia "Montefusco", from 29 March 1944 Squadriglia "Montefusco-Bonet" after the death in aerial combat of its commander, Capt. Giovanni Bonet, was the first unit of Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana equipped with the Fiat fighter and started its operations on January 1944. Victor Sierra

“Yellow 1” and “Yellow 8”

Pay attention to this picture: often, and also in many articles, she’s pass of as the photo of the airplane, the Piaggio P.108 bomber, upon which to die the Duces’ son Bruno Mussolini. NO: this is the photo of an emergency landing - most probably for engine troubles (note only two of three blades of external engines propellers crushed), a problem which plagued the entire P.108’s career - to the prototype of Piaggio’s four engines bomber at beginning of 1940. On the fuselage’s rear section you can make out the acronym PF hemmed in a circle. The acronym PF mean Piaggio-Finale: on the Thirties and early Forties the Italian prototype aircrafts were marked with two letters in a circle: the first for the manufacturer, the second for the factory (Finale is Finale Ligure at the time the Piaggio’s main factory). Note also the upper canopy open employed as emergency exit. The following photos are the real photos of Bruno Mussolini’s accident. Victor Sierra