Vigna di Valle, Italy

Ask any aviation buff to name all the three piston-engined aircraft they know, most would only get as far as the Ford Tri-Motor from the pre-war years.

However, there are four such types in this one hangar alone at the Italian Air Force Museum, three of which can be seen in this view.

The scene is dominated by a Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 ‘Canguru’, a transport and bomber that first flew in 1939, but was not retired until 1960. In the corner of the hangar is the CRDA Cant Z.506S ‘Airone’ , a seaplane that originated in 1936, but also served until 1960. The camoflaged tri-motor towards the right is another product from Savoia-Marchetti, the SM.79 ‘Sparviero’.

Other aircraft in view here include a Mustang in bare metal, the frame of a Ro.37bis recently ‘discovered’ in Afghanistan and a Fiesler Fi-156 Storch which was often used on covert missions during the Second World War.

Oh and the fourth tri-motor out of the view here is the Fiat G.212.





Photoshop:
Cropped and Resized