SM.79 Summary

The SM.79 was developed and manufactured by Savoia-Marchetti and may be the best-known Italian airplane of the Second World War. The SM.79 was easily recognizable due to its fuselage's distinctive dorsal "hump".

The SM.79 was originally developed in the early 1930swith the intention of producing a swift eight-passenger transport aircraft. It established 26 separate world records between 1937 and 1939, and at one time was the fastest medium bomber in the world. As such, the SM.79 became regarded as an item of national prestige in Fascist Italy, attracting significant government support and often being deployed as an element of state propaganda.

The SM.79 first saw combat during the Spanish Civil War, where it operated without fighter escort, relying on its relatively high speed to evade interception. This advantage did not last long in a period of rapid techincal advances. By the time of Italy's entry into WW2, it did not fair well against the British fighters.

The SM.79 was operated mainly as a transport aircraft, medium bomber and torpedo bomber. It achieved notable successes in the later role against Allied shipping in the Mediterranean, in spite of torpedo quality problems. Italian torpedoes, like early-war American torpedeos, were plagued with manufacturing defects. During one operation in 1942, of over 100 torpedoes launched, only 3 hit their targets.

The SM.79 was the most numerous Italian bomber of the war, with about 1,300 built, and would remain in service until 1952.

This is our land based version of the SM.79, and it comes magnetized and painted in an olive/green camouflage pattern as shown.

Customer Reviews

No Reviews Posted Yet - be the first! (write review)