View source for Francesco Agello

{{Short description|Italian test pilot}}
{{more footnotes|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Francesco Agello 
| image         = Macchi MC72, 2.jpg
| caption       = Francesco Agello poses with his [[Macchi M.C.72]]
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|df=yes|1902|12|27}}
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1942|11|24|1902|12|27}}
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| birth_place  =[[Casalpusterlengo]], [[Lombardy]], [[Kingdom of Italy]]
| death_place  = [[Milan]], [[Kingdom of Italy]]
| placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| nickname      =
| allegiance    =Italy
| branch        = 
| serviceyears  = 
| rank          = 
| unit          =
| commands      =
| battles       = 
| awards        = {{plainlist|
*[[De la Vaulx Medal]] (twice)
*[[Medal of Aeronautic Valor|Gold Medal of Aeronautic Valor]]
}}
| relations     =
| laterwork     =
}}

'''Francesco Agello''' (27 December 1902 – 24 November 1942) was an Italian [[test pilot]].

==Biography and flight achievements==

Born at [[Casalpusterlengo]], [[Lombardy]], [[Italy]], Agello graduated from pilot school in 1924 and soon became a test pilot. He was the fourth 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 10 April 1933. He attained an average speed of 683&nbsp;km/h (424&nbsp;mph). More than a year later he flew the M.C. 72 to a new speed record of more than 700&nbsp;km/h (709&nbsp;km/h or 440&nbsp;mph) on 23 October 1934. Both records, while obtained in a [[seaplane]], also were absolute [[flight airspeed record]]. No one has ever flown a piston-engine seaplane faster since that date.

==Awards==

Agello was awarded the [[De la Vaulx Medal]] twice for his speed records, once in 1933 and again in 1934. In 1934 he was also awarded the [[Medal of Aeronautic Valor]].<ref name = "Trotta">Trotta, A. (ed.) (1978). {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180615191008/http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/libri/PDF_Libri_By_AVIA/Medaglie%20d%27Oro%20al%20Valor%20Aeronautico%20-%20Trotta%20A..pdf ''Cenni storici sulla Medaglia al valore aeronautico'']}}, p. 22. Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell'Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 15 June 2018 {{in lang|it}}.</ref>

==Later career==

In 1935 Agello joined the Italian government's airplane test center.

==Death==
Agello died during [[World War II]] testing the new [[Macchi C.202]] fighter at [[Bresso]], near [[Milan]], when his aircraft collided with another C.202 piloted by [[World War I]] [[flying ace]] and fellow test pilot [[Guido Masiero]] in heavy fog on 24 November 1942. Masiero also was killed.<ref>[http://www.earlyaviators.com/eferrar1.htm earlyaviators.com Schubert, Jim, "Book Report: Italian Aviators Rome to Tokyo in 1920 by Lt. Gen'l. (Ret.) Domenico Ludovico"]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Sources ==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002255/http://www.fai.org/awards/recipient.asp?id=1358 De la Vaulx Medal]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agello, Francesco}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1942 deaths]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Italy]]
[[Category:Flight speed record holders]]
[[Category:Italian aviation record holders]]
[[Category:Italian test pilots]]
[[Category:People from Casalpusterlengo]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Medal of Aeronautic Valor]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1942]]
[[Category:Victims of flight test accidents]]