Warbird Information Exchange

I was just researching some signed items by Italian Gen. Mario Pezzi.

Is it possible that the World's Altitude record for manned, piston driven, propeller aircraft, that he set in 1938 (as a Lt. Col.) at 56,046 feet, still stands?!

Did he take part in Italo Balbo's Mass flights of that Era?

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hundreds of images of aero art, memorabilia, photos and artifacts at;
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Technically I believe beaten in 1995 by the Grob Strato 2C

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grob_Strato_2C

Thank you DB2.
yes, a new record of just under 61,000 ft. in 1995. from Lt. Col. Pezzi's 56,046 feet back in 1938.

Both were very admirable achievements

_________________
hundreds of images of aero art, memorabilia, photos and artifacts at;
www.memaerobilia.com

I looked for that Grob record on the FAI website and couldn't find it. I wonder if it is certified.

Pezzi's record is there, although the class it was in is no longer used.

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Chris Kennedy
Peoria, AZ

the plane had 2 conti 550 engines and a pw127 turbo prop ? did they switch engine for high altitude?

The P&W was there just to provide manifold pressurization for the piston engines. There is precedent. There was a high altitude aircraft circa 1940 that used three DB601's. One ran a blower to feed air to itself an the other two engines (posibly cabin pressure too)

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Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

So, what became of the Glob Strato 2C. In a museum somewhere? If so, where?

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Kevin McCartney

Thank you for the explanation. pretty neat. how was it done in 1938? oxygen tanks?

Henschel HS130E was the one I was thinking of Three DB605s.

It seems it was done originally in 1918 with Zeppelin-Staaken that had an engine solely to run a big blower, so there is one more precedent. And all German too

_________________
Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.