Visit to Vigna di Valle, Italy

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11 years 9 months

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Some photos taken during a recent visit to the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle - a fantastic collection of rare and unique aircraft in a very beautiful and historic location on Lake Bracciano, approximately 20 miles north of Rome. Difficult to choose favourites among so many wonderful exhibits but the classy, scarlet, Schneider Trophy racers are beautiful!

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Member for

11 years 9 months

Posts: 1,326

The WW2 hall is trimotor heaven with the Fiat G.212, SM.82, SM.79 and CANT Z-506 floatplane. Outside, behind a Grumman Albatross, is a 1930s Ansaldo-built crane which was used to lift floatplanes into and out of the water.

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Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 1,628

Thanks for posting. As you say, the Schneider Trophy racers are real jewels. I'd love to see and hear one of them take off from an Italian lake but I guess that's not possible.

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 1,628

Crikey, I'd pay serious money to see/hear that in real life. Makes Reno seem almost tame by comparison. Thanks for posting it.

Member for

11 years 9 months

Posts: 1,326

Wow, thanks tbyguy, what a lovely sound! It would be fantastic to experience the sight and sound of the MC.72 in action but....

Seeing it close up I was astounded by the cooling system which covers most of the wing surfaces and also the floats! It was needed to dispense the heat generated by the Fiat AS-6 which is an absolute beast of an engine!

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Member for

16 years 8 months

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That's the Mc72 in 'winter mode', they had to add an extra radiator under the rear fuselage to get the most out of it in anything warmer
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Member for

11 years 9 months

Posts: 1,326

Thanks, Schneiderman, didn't realise that - I've never seen anything like it before!