Take-off from Aviano, North-East Italy, of Fiat BR.20M bomber of the Regia Aeronautica 18th Stormo, allocated to 2nd Squadra, likey for a raid over Yugoslavian targets during the brief war against the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, April 1941. Victor Sierra

Take-off from Aviano

The large Aviano airfield, an important Regia Aeronautica’s air base in the North-East Italy, at the foots of the Eastern Alps, likely Winter 1940. The airplanes are the obsolescent bombers Savoia-Marchetti S.81 downgraded to training aircraft and allocated to Aviano Bomber School. Today Aviano, military airport under Italian Air Force’s control, is the main USAAF’s air base in Italy. Victor Sierra

Aviano

An Italian trainer Nardi FN.305 warming its engine on a Northern Italy airfield. The civilian personnel around the aircraft and the absence of the unit’s marking state perhaps a fresh factory FN.305 likely during the fight test at Albenga airfield, Liguria, before the delivery to Regia Aeronautica. According the camouflage and the white cross on the rudder, the photo was taken during the war years. The FN.305, designed by the Nardi brothers and produced by Piaggio at Finale Ligure, was the basic advanced trainer of the Regia Aeronautica, an excellent airplane with retractable main landing gear and powered by a 185-HP Alfa Romeo 115, a de Havilland Gipsy Queen’s Italian version. Victor Sierra