Franco Lucchini was born in Rome on 24 December 1917. On July 1937 he volunteered for the Spanish Civil War flying Fiat CR.32s. When war ended he went to X Gruppo, 4° Stormo C.T. 14 June saw the first combat between opposing RAF and Regia Aeronautica fighters over North Africa.  During the first tour of operations in North Africa, in seven months he flew 94 missions with 13 air combats and three strafing attacks against enemy armoured vehicles. In 1941 X Gruppo moved to Trapani, Sicily to take part in the attacks on Malta on Macchi C.200. After 12 missions and three dogfights he had claimed 3 shared victories and 5 more probables. By September 1941 he had flown 37 more missions claiming 14 enemy aircraft shared and 16 more probables. On 1 December he was promoted to commander of the 84a Squadriglia. By the end of 1941 X Gruppo re-equipped with MC.202s and returned to Sicily on 1942. From April to 17 June 1942 he flew 47 missions over Malta at first and then on the North African front. He was shot down again on 24 October 1942 and wounded after shooting down a P-40 and a B-25 bomber together with Ten. De Seta and Ten. Berti. During this mission he was flying C.202 MM7919 '84-12'. After several months at hospital he rejoined his unit in July 1943 and took part in the defence of Sicily as commander of the X Gruppo. The 5 July during an heavy combat Lucchini was missing. He was credited with a total of 26 making him one of the highest-ranking Italian ace in 70 aerial combats.