Franco Bordoni Franco Bordoni - Bisleri ( January 10 , 1913 – September 15 , 1975 ) was an Italian aviator and racing car driver . He is one of the top - scoring ace of Regia Aeronautica , with 19 air victories . His nickname was " Robur " ( " strength " in Latin ) and was painted on most of his aircraft and racing cars . Early life . Bordoni was born in Milan . His grandfather was Felice Bisleri ( 1851 – 1921 ) who had started and owned the family - run maker of the " Ferro - China - Bisleri " amaro ( drink ) . Franco studied at " Collegio San Carlo " ( one of the most exclusive private schools in the city ) . By the time he had completed his studies , he had already shown himself to be a talented car driver . The young Franco was attracted to flying by the lure of the speed . He became civil pilot ( 1936 ) but failed in his efforts to join the Italian Royal Air Force ( " Regia Aeronautica " ) , due to a minor nasal problem . He finally succeeded in entering the service as a temporary " Sottotenente " in 1937 . And he got a military aviation license that allowed him to fly combat missions in World War II . World War II . When Italy entered the war in June 1940 , he rejoined the Regia Aeronautica and was sent to 95 " Squadriglia " of 18° " Gruppo " , based in Albenga airfield , during the fighting against France and was then assigned to the Italian Air Corps ( " Corpo Aereo Italiano " ) and in October arrived in Belgium for the last part of the Battle of Britain . He recalled : " My first visit to Libya was in August 1940 . . . I returned on 29 January 1941 when I served with 18° " Gruppo " ( 3° Stormo ) until 14 August 1941 . " Bordoni , who had his nickname " Robur " ( related to the family brand ) painted on his plane , obtained his first air victory on 10 March 1941 : flying a Fiat CR . 42 for 95a " Squadriglia " , he shot down a Bristol Blenheim , 100 km East of Benghazi . On the 14 of April , still flying a CR . 42 , he attacked – together with some FIAT G . 50 from 155° Gruppo Aut . C . T . – the Hawker Hurricane Mk . 1 from ' Fighter Squadron 73 that were bouncing the Junkers Ju 87 " Stuka " in action on Tobruk bay . During the dogfight , Bordoni - Bisleri downed the Hurricane flown by Pilot Officer Lamb . According to other sources , Bisleri shot down the Hurricane Mk . I V7553 " TP - E " of Flight Sergeant Herbert Garth Webster ( RAF No . 519739 ) , who was killed . Three days later , 17 April , he claimed another Blenheim , destroyed 40 km East of Derna . In May , while his unit was stationed in Benghazi , he was promoted to " Tenente " and was awarded his first " Medaglia d ' argento al valore militare " and the German Iron Cross . On 2 June he shot down two more Blenheims , on the Port of Benghazi and 20 km off the coast , but his CR . 42 was damaged by defensive fire . For these claims he was awarded his second " Medaglia d ' argento al valore militare " . On the evening of 28 July 1941 he and one other CR . 42 took part in an attack on a British submarine south of Benghazi together with five Ju87s . It is possible that the submarine was the HMS Union , which were claimed to have been sunk . " In 1941 – he remembered – the CR . 42 was a good aircraft , easy to fly . strong and manoeuvrable , but it lacked sufficient speed and armament . It was possible to fight Gladiators , Blenheims and Wellingtons in this aircraftt , but against other aircraft it was outclassed . " Upon returning to Italy in August of the same year , 18° " Gruppo " was re - equipped with Fiat G . 50 . By the time they were moved to Greece , the 18° had shifted to Macchi C . 200 " Saetta " . But here the unit never encountered any enemy planes . In the beginning of October 1942 the 3° " Stormo " pilots started to receive their first MC . 202 s as replacements for lost MC . 200 s . " The situation became very different – he recalled – as with this new aircraft it was possible to successfully combat Hurricanes and P40s and it was easier to intercept bombers . " Six days later , on the 26th of October , Bordoni - Bisleri ( 83 " Squadriglia " , 18° " Gruppo " ) with eleven other pilots of 3° " Stormo " and seven from 4° ( all flying 202s ) attacked a wide formation of thirty Kittyhawks and seventeen Spitfire s covering twelve Bostons and six Baltimores , in the Fuka and Daba areas . Bordoni - Bisleri claimed one of the Kittyhawks , which crash - landed about 15 km south - east of Fuka ( Flying Officer J . G . Meredith ) but according to some sources the same pilot was claimed by " Tenente " Vittorio Squarcia ( 73 " Squadriglia " ) . Bisleri claimed another P - 40 , on 30 October , over El Kattara , in El Alamein area , while returning from a reconnaissance flight . On 1 November 1942 , he and his wingman " Tenente " Caetani attacked 15 P - 40s on the road Sidi el Barrani – Marsa Matrouh . Bordoni - Bisleri shot down two P - 40s and Caetani claimed a third . For this achievement they were awarded a " Medaglia d ' argento al valore militare " ( Bordoni - Bisleri ’ s third ) . Three days later , 4 November , Bordoni - Bisleri , with " Capitano " Mario Pinna of 74 " Squadriglia " and " Sergente Maggiore " Francesco Cuscuna of 75 " Squadriglia " intercepted three P - 40 Kittyhawks . Near their airfield at Abu Smeit , Bordoni - Bisleri shot down one of the Curtiss fighter that , moments before , had hit Pinna , forcing him to bale out badly wounded in his face and on his hands . On 30 July 1943 some Italian pilots attacked a formation of B - 17s escorted by P - 38s over Rome . Flying his C . 205 , Bordoni - Bisleri shot down a B - 17 ( kill number 13 ) over Pratica di Mare , firing 800 rounds of 12 . 7 mm ammunition . Some sources claims that this claim was shared with " Sergente " Mantelli . In two combat missions on 11 August he downed two more B - 17s . The first fell in the sea , off Civitavecchia . The second four - engine bomber was shot down from 8 , 500 meters and fell north - east of Bracciano lake . While flying one of the older MC . 202s . , on 19 August , he claimed a B - 26 off the coast of Ostia , still near Rome . The following day he was promoted " Comandante " ( flight commander ) of 83 Squadriglia . On 21 August , still flying a C . 202 , he fired 630 rounds of 12 . 7mm ammunition at a B - 17 that fell near the Pomigliano d ' Arco railway station ( Naples ) . Nine days later ( 30 August 1943 ) , Bordoni , now flying again a C . 205 , destroyed a B - 17 near Viterbo , with 430 rounds of 20 mm and 400 rounds of 12 . 7 mm ammunition . He obtained his last air victory with 83 " Squadriglia " , in 3° " Stormo " , flying a C . 205 . On the 5th of September 1943 , just three days before Italian armistice of Cassibile he shot down a B - 17 Flying Fortress , off Civitavecchia , on the Latium coast . Bordoni - Bisleri ended the conflict " with 19 victories with CR . 42s and C . 202s . Twelve were over Libya and the final seven were American bombers . " Six were Curtiss P - 40s and four were Blenheims . Sports car racing . After the war , Bordoni became president of the family ' s liquor company and started a career in sports car racing . He went on to become one of Europe ' s leading amateur drivers during the 1950s . He continued to use the " Robur " logo and slogan ( featuring a fighting lion ) also seen on the liquor bottles . The debut came in 1949 , driving a Fiat 1100 B in the Mille Miglia . In 1950 he scored his first victory in the Coppa Inter - Europa at Monza in a Maserati A6 . He took further wins later the same year and the following , driving a Dagrada - Fiat Sport 750 at Modena , Circuito del Castello in Teramo and in the Coppa Ascoli at Circuito delle Caldaie . In 1952 he won the 1 . 1 liter class of the Bari Grand Prix in an O . S . C . A . In 1953 he became Italian Sportscar Champion , driving a Gordini T15S in which he won the Coupe de Vitesse at the Autodrome de Montlhéry , the Trullo d ' Oro at the Castellana circuit and the Pergusa Grand Prix . The 1954 season saw him repeat his wins of the Trullo d ' Oro and the Pergusa Grand Prix as well as winning the Trieste - Opicina hillclimb . During 1955 he was offered to drive for the works Maserati team ; Officine Alfieri Maserati , and got the chance to race a number of different models . He drove a Maserati 300S in the 10 Hours of Messina , the RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod and won his second Trieste - Opicina hillclimb with it . In the Targa Florio he had to retire with a Maserati 200S . He had more luck with a Maserati A6GCS , that brought him his third victory in the Pergusa Grand Prix . Bordoni continued to drive for Maserati during the following years . His last victory came at the 1957 Grand Prix des Frontieres . He retired from racing in 1959 at the age of 46 . Death . Bordoni - Bisleri died in a plane crash on 15 September 1975 . He was coming back from Rome after a commemoration of parachutists , attended by Pope Paul VI and organized by the Aero Club of Milan , of which he was President . He was flying a SIAI Marchetti F . 260 , with his ten - year - old son , Andrea , and a friend , Gianni Allegri . Near Chiavari , in Liguria , they met a heavy storm and the plane crashed on Mount Anchetta . His death had considerable press coverage at the time , although little was mentioned of his glorious past with the Regia Aeronautica .