Adriano Mantelli

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Adriano Mantelli
Born
Sottotenente Adriano Mantelli

13 February 1913
Cortile San Marino
Died6 May 1995(1995-05-06) (aged 82)
Florence, Italy
NationalityItalian
EducationRegio Istituto d'Arte Paolo Toschi, Parma
Known forAircraft Design

Adriano Mantelli (13 February 1913 – 6 May 1995)[1] was an Italian aircraft designer who designed the Alaparma Baldo.

Early life[edit]

In 1929 Mantelli competed in flying competitions with aircraft that were self designed and built. In 1931 he started designing gliders.[1]

In the summer of 1936, Adriano Mantelli was the leading Italian fighter pilot in the Spanish Civil War serving in the Regia Aeronautica. Mantelli shot down a Dewoitine piloted by British pilot Edward Hillman. Flying under the alias "Arrighi",[2] he would later share the title for highest scoring Ace with Mario Bonzano at fifteen victories.[3]

In 1945 Mantelli designed the AM-6 twin boomed pusher aircraft derived from previous glider designs.[4] Mantelli co-founded the company Alaparma with Livio Agostini to produce the AM-6, and later the AM-8 and AM-10 aircraft.[5]

In 1951 Mantelli designed and built two gliders, the AM-10 and AM-12 "Albatross", in Buenos Aires, Argentina[6] In 1954, Mantelli set an Italian record for altitude in a glider in a two-seat CVV-6 Canguro glider.[7]

Mantelli received the FAI Louis Blériot Medal in 1962, and 1964.[8] Mantelli reached the rank of General.[9]

He died in 1995 while waiting for a train at Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Alfredo Logoluso (2010). Fiat CR.32 Aces of the Spanish Civil War. Osprey Publishing. pp. 19–20, 87. ISBN 978-1-84603-983-6.
  2. ^ Christopher F. Shores. Spanish Civil War air forces.
  3. ^ William Yenne, Bill Yenne. Aces true stories of victory and valor in the skies of World War II.
  4. ^ RW Simpson. Airlife's general aviation: a guide to postwar general aviation manufacturers and their aircraft.
  5. ^ David Mondey (1978). The complete illustrated encyclopedia of the world's aircraft. ISBN 9780890097717.
  6. ^ American Aviation Historical Society. AAHS Journal. 13.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  7. ^ Aeroplane and Commercial Aviation News. 86. 1954.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  8. ^ "FAI awards". Archived from the original on 2011-05-18. Retrieved 3 Jan 2011.
  9. ^ David J. Mitchell. The Spanish Civil War: based on the television series.