Garutti-Stoppani Monoplane ?

[hesham]

From L'Air 1923,

what was this aircraft ?.

The new Garutti-Stoppani monoplane

The Garutti-Stoppani Company which has just completed the
construction of a fighter monoplane equipped with a Hispano-Suiza 140 hp engine, also recently released a new training plane equipped with a Le Rhône engine
80 hp, whose main characteristics are as follows:
Total span: 10 m. 70. .
Total length: 6 m. 50.
Total height: 2 m. 50.
Bearing surface: 18 m2.
Load per m2: 32 kgs.

This device piloted by Stoppani is currently carrying out
his first tests under the direction of the engineer
Garutti.

 

[Apophenia]

... The new Garutti-Stoppani monoplane ...

The pilot in question would be the well-known WWI fighter pilot Mario Stoppani (1985-1959). In Feb of 1917, Serg. Stoppani was transferred to the Direzione Tecnica dell'Aviazione Militare (DTAM) as a test pilot but, by the end of that month, he was testing aircraft for Gio. Ansaldo & C. When Ansaldo withdrew from aviation during its 1921 re-organization, Stoppani found himself out of work. Stoppani then joined forces with a fellow former-Ansaldo employee - capotecnico Sig. Garutti - to form a flying school. [1]

The Società Garutti & Stoppani was formed at the Campo d'Aviazione di Foggia in SE Italy. Their training fleet consisted of:

1 x 80 hp Le Rhône C-powered AER-built Caudron G.3 basic trainer (I-FSTA);
5 x 120 hp Le Rhône-powered SAML-Aviatik A.2s (I-FASA, I-FASC, I-FASD, I-FASF, and I-FASG);
2 x 120 hp Le Rhône-powered Nieuport-Macchi (Hanriot) HD single-seaters (I-FEDE and I-FIFA); and
1 x 110 hp Oberursel UR.II-powered Fokker E.V/D.VIII single-seater (I-FRAK)

The Caudron would probably have been used to screen potential pilots while ab initio training would have been done on the SAML-Aviatiks. 'G&S' was also expected to prepare civilians for military flying. As such, the single-engined Hanriots and Fokker would have been used to familiarize solo pilots with higher-performance machines. It seems that the school was trying to standardize upon the 120 hp Le Rhône 9J engine.

By the Summer of 1922, 'G&S' were being mentioned alongside other flying schools training civilian pilots for military service (eg: Gabardini, Breda, Siba, and Airone di Ponte San Pietro). However, not enough trainee pilots were signing up to sustain the 'G&S' flying school. Stoppani hung on in the role of chief instructor pilot until 1925. [2] I don't know how long Garutti persisted but, by October 1926, the 'G&S' fleet registrations had been cancelled. All nine airframes were then either due for dismantling are had already been dismantled.

My guess is that your Garutti & Stoppani monoplane trainer had been intended to replace (or supplement) the wartime Hanriot biplanes and Fokker parasol. Interesting that they chose a mid-set wing supported by a somewhat dated kingpost arrangement. It is possible that they intended to 'recycle' existing airframe components. Indeed, it is highly likely that the trainer's 80 hp Le Rhône engine was to be salvaged from the school's ancient Caudron. However, with that obsolete airframe arrangement, the Hisso-powered 'fighter' strikes me as trying it on.

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[1] Your clipping says that Sig. Garutti was an engineer. Other sources say he was a fellow pilot. Of course, no reason that Garutti may not have been both.

[2] After resigning from 'G&S', Stoppani became an instructor pilot for the Società Aeronautica Italiana at their new Passignano sul Trasimeno seaplane school. Stoppani stayed with SAI until May 1927 when he returned to test pilot work.