Right landing gear failure of a Fiat CR.42AS/BA (Africa Settentrionale/Bombe Alari, AS for North Africa, BA for Wing Bombs) on an unidentified Italian mainland. Well visible under the left wing the rack for a 50 or 100 kg bomb and under engine cowling the anti-sand filter. The AS/BA was the CR.42 with anti-sand filter modified for transport of two bombs employed with same success in North Africa and Mediterranean and during the last battles in Sicily against the Allied forces. Victor Sierra

Landing gear failure

The airplane employed by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Galeazzo Ciano for its official visit in Germany, 21-23 October 1936, at Littorio airfield, Rome, just after the arrival from Berlin (notice the large black limousine in background). The aircraft is the Savoia-Marchetti S.74, c/n 21002, civil registration I-ALPE, second of the three four engines of this type delivered to Italian national airline Ala Littoria on June 1935. As the other two planes, I-URBE c/n 21001 and I-ROMA c/n 21003, also the I-ALPE was militarized after the Italy’s entry in the war (10 June 1940) and was allocated to Regia Aeronautica’s 604th Squadriglia as 604-11. The 604-11 former I-ALPE was lost on morning 23 October 1941 when departed from Castel Benito airfield, Tripoli, towards Gerbini, Sicily, with a crew of four men an 26 passenger, hit a hill, in low visibility conditions, in the Catania plane. No survivors. Victor Sierra

The Ciano’s airplane

Macchi MC.202 “Folgore” of the Regia Aeronautica’s 153rd Gruppo in flight over the Sicily, Summer 1942. Victor Sierra