Count Francesco Baracca, standing by his plane with the famous prancing horse logo, later to become the emblem for the Ferrari car.

Francesco Baracca (9 May 1888–19 June 1918) was Italy's top fighter ace of World War I. He entered the Modena military academy in 1907 and became a cavalryman upon commissioning. Baracca became interested in aviation and learned to fly in France in 1912, leading to assignment as a flight instructor during the early part of WWI. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1189x794, 37 KB) Posing by his Nieuport 11. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1189x794, 37 KB) Posing by his Nieuport 11. ... The current Ferrari logo Ferrari is an Italian car manufacturer in the Formula One World Championship, also involved in high-end and high-performance race cars, supercars, and sports cars. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Fighter Ace is an online multiplayer computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots. ... Combatants Allied Powers: United Kingdom France Italy Russia United States Serbia Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Nicholas II Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Reinhard Scheer Franz Josef I Conrad von Hötzendorf Ä°smail Enver Ferdinand I Casualties...

After Italy's entry on the Allied side, Baracca flew operational missions in a variety of aircraft during 1914. The next year he converted to Nieuport two-seaters but he came into his own with arrival of the Nieuport 11 in 1916. He scored his first victory on 7 April, Italy's first such success of the war. Steadily increasing his score at the expense of Austro-Hungarian airmen, by year end he was an ace. Eventually he marked his success by adapting a prancing horse emblem which, after the war, became the insignia of Ferrari race cars. The Nieuport 11 was designed in response to the Fokker Scourge of 1915. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ...

Baracca hit his stride as commander of the 91a Squadriglia during 1917. Flying Nieuports and SPADs, he raised his score to 30 at year's end, but saw little action in the first part of 1918. However, he added four more victories to a total of 34 before failing to return from an attack mission on 19 June.

His body, found a few days later, reportedly bore the marks of a bullet hole to the head. In his hand was held a pistol, leading to suspicions that he elected to take his own life rather than burn to death.

External links

• Regia Aeronautica Italiana - Entry on Francesco Baracca