'Navy Mystery Plane'. This is the prototype of the PBY Catalina. It had just flown non-stop from Coco Solo, Panama to San Francisco in 34 hours and 45 minutes. The aircraft underwent modifications over the winter and became the XPBY-1 as the P3Y was redesignated PBY. The building in the background belongs to the old Alameda Airport, just to the east of the new Naval Air Station Alameda which opened in 1940. Photo from: San Francisco Examiner / UC Berkeley Library

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

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

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

The first international aviation exhibition in Milan. In the foreground is a Savoia-Marchetti S.73, I-ENNA, in the centre a Ro.37 and in the background a Cant Z.501 Gabbiano flying boat, I-AGIL. Behind the Stösser are a Gotha Go 145, D-ILTO, and a French Potez 540 bomber, No 39. Photo from: Fondazione Fiera Milano

Badly damaged in forced landing at Somerton, Victoria, on October 8, 1938. Photo from: National Library of Australia

Destroyed in a crash at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago January 8, 1945. Pan Am photo. Photo from: Civil Aviation Historical Society, Melbourne, Australia

The name McWilliams under the wing is the sponsor of a shark patrol launched in Sydney in October 1935. VH-UST was lost in a midair collision with DH60 VH-UFV on November 19, 1939. At the time of the photo this aircraft was flown by Western and Southern Provincial Airlines (WASP). Photo from: Hood Collection/State Library of New South Wales

Shipped to Australia and assembled at Archerfield, G-ACGJ became VH-UAX with Aircrafts Pty Ltd (APL). UAX was plagued with engine problems largely blamed on poor maintenance . It was damaged in a forced landing near Archerfield on May 3, 1942. Work on rebuilding engine received close supervision by authorities. After an inspector reported worn parts were being used, the engine was removed from the airport to a city workshop. That was the end of the story and UAX was cancelled from the register in 1947 as withdrawn from use. Photo from: State Library of Queensland