Balbo (aircraft formation)

Balbo was a common term in the late 1930s and early 1940s to describe any large formation of aircraft. It was named after the Italian fascist flying ace Italo Balbo who led a series of large aircraft formations in record-breaking flights to promote Italian aviation in the 1930s.[1][2]

For the Italian Fascist leader, see Italo Balbo; for the village in Azerbaijan, see Balbau; for other uses, see Balbo (disambiguation).

During the Battle of Britain the term was used for the Big Wings that were based at RAF Duxford.[3][4][5]

The term is used today in the UK for a mass fly-by at the end of an airshow.

References
  1. "Another Triumph for Hiduminium" (advert). Flight. 14 September 1933.
  2. Boyne, Walter J. (2002). Air warfare: an international encyclopedia, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 63. ISBN 978-1-57607-345-2.
  3. Lewin, Ronald (1980). Ultra Goes to War. New York: Pocket Books. pp. 86.
  4. Jablonski, Edward (1971). "Airwar". 1. Manhattan: Doubleday: 119. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Robinson, Anthony (1979). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Marshall Cavendish. p. 848.
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