Francesco Agello
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Francesco Agello (27 December 1902 - 26 November 1942) was an Italian test pilot.
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[edit] Biography and flight achievements
Born at Casalpusterlengo, Lombardy, Agello graduated from pilot school in 1924 and soon became a test pilot. He was the forth of four test pilots who tried to set a speed record with the Macchi M.C.72. However, one after the other, the test pilots ahead of Agello died (first Monti and then Bellini flying the M.C. 72, Neri died flying a CR-20 in 1933). Agello became famous when he succeeded in piloting the plane to a new speed record (over water) on April 10, 1933. He attained an average speed of 683 km/h (424 mph). More than a year later he flew the M.C. 72 to a new speed record of more than 700 km/h (709 km/h or 440 mph) on 23 October 1934. No one has ever flown a piston-engine seaplane faster since that date.
[edit] Awards
He was awarded the De la Vaulx Medal twice for his speed records, once in 1933 and again in 1934.
[edit] Later career and death
In 1935 he joined the Italian government's airplane test center.
He died during World War II in an aircraft crash while testing a new Italian fighter plane at Bresso, near Milan. He was almost 40 years old.
