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The Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 79 Sparviero

(Sparrowhawk)

Based on a civil passenger aircraft, the Sparviero was definitely obsolescent, if not obsolete, when Italy went to war. Nevertheless, general opinion holds it as one of the finest torpedo bombers of the War.
The S.M.79 was typical for it's time, a cantilever low-wing monoplane type of mixed construction. It was based on a rectangular-section fuselage with a rounded upper decking. This fuselage was of welded steel tube construction covered over its front half by Dural panels and plywood, and over its rear half by plywood and fabric. The tail unit was of welded steel tube construction with fabric covering, and included a horizontal surface that was braced to the lower longeron on each side by two parallel struts. The cantilever low-set wing was a single-piece structure of mixed metal and wood construction with plywood skinning: the wing was dihedraled, tapered in thickness and chord, and carried over the full span of its trailing edge outboard ailerons and inboard camber-changing flaps. The outboard ends of the leading edges were fitted with Handley Page automatic slots for improved low-speed handling. The main landing gear could be retracted rearward into the two engine nacelles that were wing mounted, and a tailwheel completed the set. Like the Junkers Ju 52/3m and the CANT Z.1007 Alcione it was a tri-motor aircraft.
Because of it's typical silhouette, it was also nicknamed 'Gobbo Maledetto' or 'Hunchback' by the Italians.

Version list:

• Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79-I Sparviero ^(*)
• Other Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 Sparviero versions
• Savoia-Marchetti S.M.83 versions
• Savoia-Marchetti S.579 versions
• IAR S.M.79JR versions

Further pictures:

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 of the italian Air Force on an airfield


Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 of the italian Air Force in another nice view.

Technical data on the Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79-I Sparviero

Powerplant	3 × Alfo Romeo 126 RC.34 9-cylinder radial, rated at 780 hp (581.48 kW) each		Role during war	Medium Bomber Scout Bomber Torpedo Bomber Maritime/Coastal patrol reconnaissance Bomber Anti-shipping Aircraft
Length	51 ft 10 inch		Height	14 ft 1.75 inch
Empty weight	14991 lb		Operational weight	23104 lb max
Wing Span	69 ft 2.67 inch		Wing Aspect ratio	7.28
Wing Area	664.14 sq ft		Service ceiling	21325 ft
Maximum speed	267 mph at 13125 ft		Cruising speed	233 mph at optimum altitude
Initial climb rate	Climb to 16,405 ft in 19 min 45 sec		Range	1181 miles typical, 2050 miles max
Fuel capacity internal	5,622 lb (actual amount of gallons depends on type of fuel)		Fuel capacity external	-
Machine guns	1 × 0.50 inch Breda-SAFAT fixed forward-firing in a position above the cockpit, 350 rounds 1 × 0.50 inch Breda-SAFAT trainable rearward-firing in the dorsal position, 500 rounds 1 × 0.50 inch Breda-SAFAT trainable rearward-firing in the ventral position 2 × 0.303 inch Lewis trainable lateral-firing, one in each beam position		Cannons	-
Bomb load	Up to 2,756 lb of disposable stores carried in a lower-fuselage weapons bay rated at 2,756 lb. General disposables load consisted of: 2 × 1,102 lb bombs, or 5 × 551 lb bombs, or 12 × 220 lb bombs		Torpedoes/rockets	2 × 17.7 inch torpedo (other versions), either a Silurificio Whitehead with 375 lb warhead, or a Silufiricio Italiano with 353 lb warhead. Later models had a 441 lb warhead.
Crew	5: pilot, co-pilot, navigator/bombardier/gunner, radio operator/gunner, flight engineer/gunner		Naval or ground based	Ground
First flight (prototype)	late 1934		Operational Service	1937 - early 1950's
Manufacturer	Società Italiana Aeroplani Idrovolanti 'Savoia-Marchetti'		Number produced	about 1.370 total, unknown this version

Metric system

Length	15.8 m		Height	4.31 m
Empty weight	6800 kg		Operational weight	10480 kg max
Wing Span	21.1 m		Wing Aspect ratio	7.28
Wing Area	61.7 m²		Service ceiling	6500 m
Maximum speed	430 km/h at 4000 m		Cruising speed	375 km/h at optimum altitude
Initial climb rate	Climb to 5.000 m in 19 min 45 sec		Range	1901 km typical, 3299 km max
Fuel capacity internal	2.550 kg (actual amount of liters depends on type of fuel)		Fuel capacity external	-
Machine guns	1 × 12,7 mm Breda-SAFAT fixed forward-firing in a position above the cockpit, 350 rounds 1 × 12,7 mm Breda-SAFAT trainable rearward-firing in the dorsal position, 500 rounds 1 × 12,7 mm Breda-SAFAT trainable rearward-firing in the ventral position 2 × 7,7 mm Lewis trainable lateral-firing, one in each beam position		Cannons	-
Bomb load	Up to 1.250 kg of disposable stores carried in a lower-fuselage weapons bay rated at 1.250 kg. General disposables load consisted of: 2 × 500 kg bombs, or 5 × 250 kg bombs, or 12 × 100 kg bombs		Torpedoes/rockets	2 × 450 mm torpedo (other versions), either a Silurificio Whitehead with 170 kg warhead, or a Silufiricio Italiano with 160 kg warhead. Later models had a 200 kg warhead.

Here is a quick overview of all different versions, without the full technical specifications:

Operational remarks:

The Sparviero entered operational status before World War 2 broke out. Nevertheless it was on active duty real soon with the Aviazione Legionare (Italian Expeditionary Force) supporting the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The performance of the Sparviero during that war led Yugoslavia to order 45 aircraft for their own airforce.
When Italy entered World War 2, there were some 600 aircraft in service, and they and subsequent aircraft have been used in every theatre of operations were Italy was fighting.
When Italy was divided by the Allied forces, the Sparviero served on both sides, in the Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud as well as the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana.
In the end the Sparviero had sunk considerable Allied shipping (including 5 destroyers) mostly in the Mediterranean Sea, and had further acted as a reconnaissance aircraft, groundsupport and transport. It even has featured as the worlds first remote controlled bomb. After the War some aircraft have long served as transports and mailplanes.

Strengths:

• Good reliability
• Reasonable design, able to take damage

Weaknesses:

• None that I know of

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