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Regia
Aeronautica Macchi
Castoldi mc72
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Desenzano, June 1945. "This aircraft is still one of the
fastest of the world. It's 11 years old, but it seems still tomorrow's plane".
So wrote a British soldier on the back of a souvenir picture taken at the end
of WW2 in the hangars once owned by "Reparto Alta Velocita'" (High Speed Wing,
RAV). | |
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New York, April 1st, 1990,
aboard aircraft carrier-museum USS Intrepid.
During inauguration of Italian Aerospace Show,
after watching for long time at the Macchi 72
forming the center of the exhibition, Charles
"Pete" Conrad, ex-astronaut and
McDonnell-Douglas Corp. Vice-president, says: "I
bet I could climbing in". To fly it, of course. | |
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On september 3rd, Ministres
of Aeronautics of Italy and France asked British
Royal Aero Club to postpone the race one year:
the Britons refused, without fair play but
pragmatically, because their participation was
only paid by sponsors, and retiring thet year
could mean forever. Thus, on September 12th the
British Supermarine flew alone. | |
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The A record attempt was held
also in Desenzano, on September 10th, but
concluded dramatically: flameouts, detonations
and MC-72 exploded in flight. No escape for
Bellini. To resolve the carburation troubles a
third engine test bed was set up, filling a
whole hangar where two 400- and 700HP engines
simulated wind up to 750Km/h. The device was
used to ferify propre functionibg of Palanca's
RAV-26, fitted with trasparent elements to
observe fuel flow. Tha final assault to 700Km/h
was finally decided, with Agello as pilot. After
several aborts, a first attempt was held on May
13th, interrupted for flameouts. Second attempt
on June 22th, aborted for compressor failure.
Third try on July 4th, with strong vibrations
insurging. Then, long stop until autumn. | |
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Here's another unsuccessful
flight on October 1st. On October 13th, other
flameouts and further delay. On October 23rd,
take off at 14,56: 64 seconds floating, light
mist, then the four official passes. Landing at
15,11, with Agello unaware to have beaten his
own record. After the calculations, average
resulted of 709,209Km/h, with the third, fastest
pass at 711,462Km/h. Finally, decorations,
promotions, celebrations came, with the
immediate storage in a museum of the three MC-72
left. | |
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