A Regia Aeronautica’s Macchi MC.202 seemingly in good conditions just after the armistice of Italy with the Allies on a Southern Italy’s airport, September 1943. In foreground the wreck of a Luftwaffe’s Fieseler Fi 156 Storch. Many Italian aircraft abandoned in Sicily and Southern Italy was salvaged, brought to flight conditions and finally reintegrated into active duties in the fleet of the co-belligerent Regia Aeronautica. Victor Sierra



Just after the armistice

A Regia Aeronautica’s dive bomber “Picchiatello” view by the gunner’s seat of a same plane during a flight in straight formation likely over North Africa. “Picchiatello” (batty), plural “Picchiatelli”, is the nickname given by the Italian pilots to Junkers Ju 87 Stuka whose some 160 aircraft (Ju 87B, R and D) was delivered by the Luftwaffe to Italian Air Force. Victor Sierra

“Picchiatelli”

A simple photo is the best award for the work of the technical personnel of the Italian Regia Aeronautica’s STC-Servizio Tecnico Caccia (Fighter Technical Service) at Lecce airfield which had just carried out the complete refurbishing and the restore on flight conditions of a Macchi fighter. A work carried out despite the lack of spare parts, salvaged from aircraft’s wreck, and the weak tools available. In this conditions some MC.202’s airframe was carried to MC.205’s standard thanks to replacement of the original DB.601 engine with the DB.605 equally mainly salvaged by Italian and German aircraft’s wreck. Victor Sierra

