Record Flight
Pezzi reached supremacy above Montecelio (Rome) aboard a Caproni Ca.161 biplane with a Piaggio motor and watertight cabin, wearing a special diving apparatus picture and reaching a height of 17,083 m (56,047 ft). This record still stands today.
On May 7, 1937, Maj. Mario Pezzi took off from the Guidonia-Montecelio base on a Caproni Ca161 aircraft powered by a 14 cyl. double stellar engine supercharged by a double centrifugal 750 hp compressor. Piloting this aircraft he climbed to 15,655 mt (25,000 ft). Pezzi wore a special electrically heated pressurized suit and an airtight helmet, just like a modern astronaut. In the Caproni hangars in the meantime work went on ceaselessly to produce a new version of the aircraft, the Ca161bis designed by engineer Verduzio. Its cockpit embedded an air-tight shell, the first one to be built in the history of flight. The great expectations on this machine were soon fulfilled: on October 22, 1938, Pezzi attained a new world record of altitude in a propeller-driven, piston-engined aircraft (17,083 mt, 51,000 ft), record still unbeaten today. Pezzi is rightly considered an aeronautics and astronautics pioneer in Italy not only for his altitude records: he was the man who chose Luigi Broglio to lead the ITAF Ammunition Research Unit, responsible for rockets and missiles research, leading the way to future space exploration in Italy
In those years Americans, Germans, English and French fought for this record, and Italy entered the contest with 14,433 m (47,355 ft) in 1934 from Donates on his Caproni Ca.113 with a Pegaso motor.
In 1936, the Englishman Francis Swain achieved 15,230 m (49,970 ft) with a Bristol 138; but in the same year Pezzi struck it with 15,635 m (51,300 ft) caught up to it aboard a Ca.161.
In 1937, the Englishman M.J. Adam in his turn exceeded it with 16,440 m (53,940 ft) to edge always of a Bristol 138.
On October 22 of the following year, Pezzi achieved his still-valid world record for propeller aircraft with a height of 17,083 m (55,920 ft).
Entered in aeronautics, Pezzi had followed the career of official pilot, and in 1934 he had been named commander of the unit for the record flight from Montecelio. He became an high official and received many decorations. In the post-war period he was general secretary of Aeronautics and subsequently head of Cabinet of the Defense Ministry.
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