This CL-13 Sabre Mk.4 was supplied to the Royal Air Force as XB631 under MDAP. In 1956 it was passed on to Italy as an F-86E(M).

Also built as an airliner, the Ca.73 was the principal Italian bomber of the late 1920s. Like many Caproni designs, it was an inverted sesquiplane, with two engines installed in tandem. MM25010 was the first of a large batch of Ca.73ter aircraft, sometimes called Ca.82s. The second machine, MM25000, was the first of an early batch of nine. MM25000 was rebuilt to Ca.73bis standard under a January 1927 contract, with French Lorraine 12D instead of Isotta-Fraschini Asso 500 engines. Photo from: Dan Shumaker collection

The 'Italian Air Armada', General Balbo's squadron of 24 S.55X flying boats which flew from Orbetello to the Chicago World's Fair and back in July and August 1933. The nearest aircraft has serial (MM)45175 painted at the base of the tailfin. They also had civilian registrations allocated which were chosen for the pilots' names, for example I-BALB for Balbo's MM45174, but the tie-ups are not all known. Photo from: Dan Shumaker collection

Checking with the GAVS database of Italian serials, I worked out that the serial must be MM55004, and only then I saw that Dan Shumaker also has it as MM50004. This was the fifth in a large batch of 250 AS.1 trainers for the Italian air force. Photo from: Dan Shumaker collection

The S (Superiore) variant of the Ba.15 was aerodynamically refined and first flew in October 1929 according to a German source. The engine was often a seven-cilinder Walter Venus radial but here it is a nine-cilinder Walter NZ-120. Italian air force photo. Photo from: Dan Shumaker collection

The treatment of the canopy is a pity but clearly this MB.326 is taken good care of on its roundabout in Tradate, near Varese. It wears the badge of a maintenance unit, 5° Gruppo Manutenzione Velivoli, which I gather is based far away in Naples.

MM6382 with the tail of MM6420 (c/n 224), now nicely displayed near the submarine Enrico Toti.

The Ni 10 was the first Nieuport fighter, appearing before the end of 1914 in a two-seat form. The smaller Ni 11 Bébé followed, but the Ni 10 was important too, flown by many aces. It was produced in Italy as the Nieuport-Macchi 10, sometimes called Nieuport-Macchi 10.000. Two Nieuport-Macchi 10s survive, the other one in a war museum in Rovereto near Trento. This airframe spent time as I-BORA, owned by pilot and engineer Pierro Magni. Its true identity is supposed to be construction or military serial number 15173 or 15179. I-BORA was registered incorrectly as a Ni 11. Note the small size of the lower wing.

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

A beautifully crafted and finished single-seat aerobatic aircraft by the small Pierro Magni company from Milan. A PM.3 prototype first flew in 1935. The sole PM.3-4 followed in 1937. Note that the wing struts could be rotated by the pilot to act as auxiliary ailerons and airbrakes.

This fighter was built during WWII as an MC.202 Folgore, MM91818. It was converted to MC.205 standard as MM9327 (c/n 6665) in 1947 but the intended delivery to Egypt did not go ahead. Restored to flying condition in 1980 as I-MCVE. Wore "MM92214" and "MM92215". Suffered structural damage in a mishap at Varese - Venegono in July 1986. Now preserved as MM9327, otherwise painted as an aircraft of the 1° Stormo, the first wing to enter combat with the MC.205 in the spring of 1943, based on the island of Pantelleria.

This Harvard seems to be in fairly good condition.

Wearing 2° Stormo code and badge.

The Casa Bianca restaurant is closed on Mondays but one of the derelict planes here could be pictured from outside the premises. The F-86K has the tail of sister aircraft MM55-4869 (Fiat c/n 221-109), as evidenced by 'N.C.109' painted under the tailplane. There is a small airfield at this location, which is near Ghedi (LIPL).