The improved Vale at the 1937 Milan exhibition. The engine is a Farina T.58 five-cylinder radial. The aircraft is preserved at the Museo della Scienza e Tecnologia, two kilometres from the Palazzo delle Scintille. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Developed by Caproni Bergamaschi, the company's Bergamo branch, the Ca.310 was a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft first flown on 20 February 1937. Large numbers of Ca.310, Ca.311, Ca.312, Ca.313 and Ca.314 models were ordered as combat, maritime patrol or training aircraft by Italy, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Peru, and even France, Britain and Germany. Due to world events, many of the orders were not fulfilled, while the planes were strongly disliked in Hungarian, Norwegian and Swedish service. Serial MM20809 confirmed beyond doubt by another photo. Ca.134 MM330 is on the left. 'Dux' is the Latin form of Duce. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Two-seat strategic reconnaissance type, although Flight called it an army cooperation aircraft. One 900-hp Asso XI engine. The first of two airframes. The second was MM502. Tail in foreground of MM20903. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

The sole example of the Ca.123, a civil variant of the equally unsuccessful Ca.122 bomber. It is described as a mailplane or as an airliner for eight to twenty passengers plus three crew. Two 780-hp Gnome-Rhône 14K engines. I-DRIA is a Ca.308 Borea six-passenger aircraft. Reportedly the Ca.306 prototype of the Ca.308 was on display at this 1935 show, but I-DRIA is c/n 3. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

A massive Italian entry of six racing SM.79s and two Fiat BR.20s dominated the 1937 Istres - Damascus - Paris Air Race. I-CUPA was the winner. It was painted red with a green cheatline and the three green rats of the 'Sorci Verdi' flight on the fuselage. Although this airframe was also allocated MM358 and I-CUPA is not worn, these aircraft were nominally civilian. We think the single fasces emblem worn on the fuselage by Fascist Italian planes is not a military, but a state marking. I-CUPA re-registered I-MONI in January 1938 for a three-ship flight to Rio. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

The SS.3 was a two-seat version of the SS.2 canard aircraft, designed by Sergio Stefanutti and built by Stabilimento Costruzioni Aeronautiche in Guidonia. It first flew on 2 October 1937, days before this static display in Milan. Powered by a 40-hp Keller engine, the SS.3 was reportedly flown extensively and made a cross-country flight between Rome and Milan. A canard fighter, the SAI-Ambrosini SS.4, followed but crashed on its second flight. I-LUCE is a Savoia-Marchetti SM.83. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Three examples were built of the Ba.79 four-seat cabin monoplane: I-ABFU, I-ABFT (c/n 78002), the nose of which is on the right, and I-ABFZ (78003). The latter two were to Ba.79S (Superiore) standard and ABFU seems to have been upgraded later. Seen on the far left are two products of the Compagnia Nazionale Aeronautica: the CNA 15 low-wing four-seater and the CNA 25, a parallel high-wing design. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

The Z.501 Gabbiano (mew) single-engined military flying boat had long endurance, but wasn't very robust or seaworthy and suffered heavy losses during WWII. This modified Z.501, I-AGIL, set a seaplane distance record of 4130 km in May 1934, flying from Monfalcone to Massawa in Eritrea. A French seaplane flew 4335 km in June. I-AGIL then managed 4930 km (3060 miles) to Berbera, in Somaliland, in July 1934 - or Anno XII in the Fascist year count. Cantieri Riumiti dell'Adriatico (CRDA) was Cant's full name. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Another view of the Ro.51 prototype. In the back is the sole Breda Ba.82 medium bomber. It has a rather short fuselage, not unlike the Ba.88 Lince fighter-bomber. The Ba.82 had serial number MM300 assigned. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Potez 56 executive transport and small airliner. Also in the French section are a Caudron C.630 Simoun, F-ANCH, and Raymond Delmotte's Caudron C.460 c/n 6907, race number 8. On the right, the Fafnir 2 glider Sao Paulo designed by Alexander Lippisch and an early Fiat G.18. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Of mixed construction with fixed landing gear, the Ro.51 was outdated when it first flew late in 1937. MM338 was later converted to retractable gear. The second prototype, MM339, was competed as a seaplane fighter. It sank into Lake Bracciano and that was the end of the project. On the right is a Ro.41. This biplane type first flew in 1934. It was unsuccesful as a fighter but found a role as an advanced trainer. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Another view of the BR.20 Cicogna (stork) bomber at the 1937 Milan show. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Swastikas everywhere at the second and last edition of the Milan international aero exhibition, with two rival light twins tail to tail - the Siebel Fh 104, D-IKSN, and the AGO Ao 192, D-OAGO. See crop for D-IKSN and the Arado Ar 96 trainer. Behind the Ao 192 is an unmarked Henschel Hs 123 dive-bomber. The Bf 108 has BFW for Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in its registration, but below the cockpit and on the sign is the brand name Messerschmitt. This airframe is not c/n 1561, the oldest surviving Bf 108, which wears "D-IBFW". Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

It looks fishy, but we believe this is a genuine aircraft nevertheless. Serial below tailplane read from another photo. The ineffective Ca.135 bomber first flew in 1935. Reportedly powered by 900-hp Asso XI engines, this example seems to conform to the early production standard for the Regia Aeronautica. Flight tells us it wore a multi-colour paint job 'consisting mainly of red, grey, yellow and green'. A detailed view of the tail can be had in a photo of the Ca.134 reconnaissance biplane, MM330. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Crop of photo 585015. The second prototype of the Fh 104 Hallore. The Arado Ar 96 advanced trainer behind the Siebel is unmarked, but looks genuine. It was also on display at the Brussels aero exhibition earlier in 1937. Many sources claim the Ar 96 first flew in 1938 but the first prototype, D-IRUU, was already around early in 1937. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

The Francis Lombardi pavilion at the Milan aero exhibition, with the Saiman LB.2, allocated MM347, in the foreground. The M.11 was sold by Lombardi as I-BONA to Gaspare Bona, a textile industrialist, racing driver, music composer, financier of Juventus FC, and pilot. Although in his 40s, Bona subsequently volunteered to fly for the Italian air force. He was killed in a crash after take-off from Turin - Caselle on 25 November 1940. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Sold as I-ZLEN by the importer, Francis Lombardi. This is the open-cockpit version of the Zlin XII. OK-TBO has a canopy. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

The G.18 was a 18-passenger airliner first flown in 1935. It was followed by the uprated G.18V in 1937 as the original aircraft was underpowered. Three G.18s and six G.18Vs were built, all for ALI, which was owned by Fiat. I-EION was impressed as MM60431 in 1940. See other crop for a slightly larger view of the Miles M.11, G-AEYB. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Allocated military serial MM347, this light twin-tail prototype was dismissed by Flight as a 'freak'. It was supposedly 'designed for SAIMAN by Francis Lombardi', but WWI ace Lombardi was more like the sales agent. His firm also represented Stinson, Tipsy, Zlin and 'Whitney Straight'. A Miles M.11 Whitney Straight, G-AEYB, is on display on the left. Two Zlin XIIs are on the right, and the dark plane with the light rudder is a Tipsy S.2. See photo of G-AEYB for another view of the LB.2. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Production of the Ju 86A-1 bomber, powered by Jumo diesel engines, began in April 1936. This one was fitted with BMW 132F (P&W Hornet) radials. This was only meant to be an export option but the radials became standard on the Ju 86E, giving little improvement in performance but much enhanced reliability. On the right is the Fiat G.50 prototype, MM334. Also note the impression of the 40-seat Junkers Ju 90 cabin. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano