The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)

Tornado On the Road

Early morning, on March 1, 2010, an unusual convoy manoeuvered its way into the centre of Turin, escorted by Municipal Police on motorbikes. Carefully stowed on two low loaders, a Panavia Tornado was ferried from the Cameri Air Base to the Turin Exposition Centre, to be a major display at the “Il secolo con le ali” (A Century with Wings) exhibition, organized by the Italian Air Force. Contributions came also from other organizations such as the Navy and Army aviation components, Avio, the Turin’s National Automobile Museum and the Aero Club of Turin.

The exhibition, which runs from the 6th to the 29th of March, depicts the evolution of Italian aviation across the last hundred years. Complete with many illustrated panels and multimedia displays, the exhibits include a number of historic engines and aircraft on loan from the Cameri Air Base collection and the IAF'S Museum at Vigna di Valle, such as the G91T advanced trainer, the Gabardini WW1 primary trainer, the replica of Bleriot XI-I pioneering-age monoplane, the Macchi MC.205V Veltro WW2 fighter, and of course, the Tornado, one of the pre-series aircraft.

Alenia Aeronautica contributed to the success of the event by loaning its Ansaldo SVA 9 biplane, acquired in 1988 from the USA and completely restored by February of the following year by personnel of the then Aeritalia Turin plant.

The exhibition includes a number of historic, aviation-inspired cars such as the jet-powered FIAT Turbina, tested in 1954, and the drop-like Monaco Trossi racing car, manufactured in 1934 and powered by a front-mounted, two-stroke, double-row radial engine.

A curious addition to the exhibition was provided by some of the archaic “flight simulators” and pilot aptitude testers, discovered not long ago in a basement of the Turin Polytechnic. In those days, Italy, and in particular Turin, was the acknowledged leader in the study of flight physiology and selection techniques for aspiring pilots. The relics have been incorporated in the “Archivio Scientifico e Tecnologico dell’Università di Torino” (ASTUT).

The first powered flight in Italy dates back to May 1908, made by the French pioneer Leon Delagrange before members of the Royal Family in Rome. The first Italian-made aircraft, a triplane designed by Aristide Faccioli, flew in Turin in January 1909. At the end of 1911, Italian military aircraft took part in the Italian-Turkish war, in Libya, the very first air-warfare recorded in history. On July 1, 1912, the Battaglione Aviatori, the embryo of today’s Italian Air Force, was set up in Turin.

In the picture: Dismantled Panavia Tornado P.09/MM587 pre-series aircraft, escorted by Turin’s Municipal Police, heading to the Turin Exposition Centre for the “Il secolo con le ali” (A Century with Wings) exhibition, organized by the Italian Air Force. (Franco Vercelli/Aeromedia)

(Aeromedia, March 2010)