Planes in formation; Savoia-Marchetti flying boats

John W D Taylor, Flight A Pictorial History from the Wright Brothers to Supersonic. Peebles Press 1974

In 1931 the Italian air minister, General Italo Balbo led a flight of 12 Savoia- Marchetti flying boats from Rome to Rio de Janeiro. Two years later he topped that by leading a flight of 24 flying boats to Chicago's Century of Progress Exhibition.