In Box Review of Smer 1/50th Scale
Italian Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 "Sparviero" Bomber
Kit no,. 120
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright date: 1970's
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright date: 1970's
HISTORY:
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero (Italian for sparrowhawk) was a three-engined Italian medium bomber developed and manufactured by aviation company Savoia-Marchetti.
It could be the best-known Italian aeroplane of the Second World War. The SM.79 was easily recognizable due to its distinctive fuselage dorsal "hump", and was reportedly well liked by its crews, who nicknamed it- il gobbo maledetto ("damned hunchback").
The SM.79 had been originally developed during the early 1930s as a cantilever low-wing monoplane employing a combined wood-and-metal structure.
It had been designed with the initial intention of producing a swift eight-passenger transport aircraft, capable of beating even the fastest of its contemporaries at that time.
However, the project quickly attracted the attention of the Italian government for its potential as an armed combat aircraft.
Performing its first flight on 28 September 1934; between 1937 and 1939, early examples of the type established 26 separate world records, qualifying it for some time as being the fastest medium bomber in the world.
As such, the SM.79 quickly 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.
Early on, the aircraft was routinely entered into competitive fly-offs and air races, seeking to capitalise on its advantages, and often emerged victorious in such contests.
The SM.79 first saw combat during the Spanish Civil War; in this theatre, it operated without fighter escorts, normally relying on its relatively high speed to evade interception instead.
While some issues were identified, and in some cases resolved, the SM.79's performance during the Spanish deployment was encouraging and stimulated demand for the type, including a decision to adopt it as the backbone of Italy's bomber units.
Both Yugoslavia and Romania opted to procure the type for their own air services, while large numbers were also procured for the Regia Aeronautica.
Almost 600 SM.79-I and –II aircraft were in service when Italy entered the Second World War during May 1940; thereafter, these aircraft were deployed across every theatre of war in which the Italians fought.
The SM.79 was operated in various different capacities during the Second World War; initially, the type was used as a transport aircraft and medium bomber.
Following pioneering work by the "Special Aero Torpedoes Unit", Italy put the type to work as a torpedo bomber; in this role, the SM.79 achieved notable successes against Allied shipping, particularly in the Mediterranean theater.
A specialised drone version of the aircraft, flown by remote control was also developed, although the Armistice with Italy was enacted prior to any operational deployment.
It was the most numerous Italian bomber of the Second World War, around- there were some 1,300 aircraft that were constructed. The type would remain in Italian service until 1952.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Medium bomber, torpedo bomber
Manufacturer: Savoia Marchetti
First flight: 28 September 1934
Introduction to service: 1936
Retired: 1952(Italy), 1959 (Lebanon)
Status: out of service
Primary users: Regia Aeronautica, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, Forţele Aeriene Regale ale României, Spanish Air Force
Produced: 1936-1945
Number built: 1240
Developed into: Savoia-Marchetti SM 84
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero (Italian for sparrowhawk) was a three-engined Italian medium bomber developed and manufactured by aviation company Savoia-Marchetti.
It could be the best-known Italian aeroplane of the Second World War. The SM.79 was easily recognizable due to its distinctive fuselage dorsal "hump", and was reportedly well liked by its crews, who nicknamed it- il gobbo maledetto ("damned hunchback").
The SM.79 had been originally developed during the early 1930s as a cantilever low-wing monoplane employing a combined wood-and-metal structure.
It had been designed with the initial intention of producing a swift eight-passenger transport aircraft, capable of beating even the fastest of its contemporaries at that time.
However, the project quickly attracted the attention of the Italian government for its potential as an armed combat aircraft.
Performing its first flight on 28 September 1934; between 1937 and 1939, early examples of the type established 26 separate world records, qualifying it for some time as being the fastest medium bomber in the world.
As such, the SM.79 quickly 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.
Early on, the aircraft was routinely entered into competitive fly-offs and air races, seeking to capitalise on its advantages, and often emerged victorious in such contests.
The SM.79 first saw combat during the Spanish Civil War; in this theatre, it operated without fighter escorts, normally relying on its relatively high speed to evade interception instead.
While some issues were identified, and in some cases resolved, the SM.79's performance during the Spanish deployment was encouraging and stimulated demand for the type, including a decision to adopt it as the backbone of Italy's bomber units.
Both Yugoslavia and Romania opted to procure the type for their own air services, while large numbers were also procured for the Regia Aeronautica.
Almost 600 SM.79-I and –II aircraft were in service when Italy entered the Second World War during May 1940; thereafter, these aircraft were deployed across every theatre of war in which the Italians fought.
The SM.79 was operated in various different capacities during the Second World War; initially, the type was used as a transport aircraft and medium bomber.
Following pioneering work by the "Special Aero Torpedoes Unit", Italy put the type to work as a torpedo bomber; in this role, the SM.79 achieved notable successes against Allied shipping, particularly in the Mediterranean theater.
A specialised drone version of the aircraft, flown by remote control was also developed, although the Armistice with Italy was enacted prior to any operational deployment.
It was the most numerous Italian bomber of the Second World War, around- there were some 1,300 aircraft that were constructed. The type would remain in Italian service until 1952.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Medium bomber, torpedo bomber
Manufacturer: Savoia Marchetti
First flight: 28 September 1934
Introduction to service: 1936
Retired: 1952(Italy), 1959 (Lebanon)
Status: out of service
Primary users: Regia Aeronautica, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, Forţele Aeriene Regale ale României, Spanish Air Force
Produced: 1936-1945
Number built: 1240
Developed into: Savoia-Marchetti SM 84
THE KIT:
Smer is based in Prague, Czech Republic
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows 3 Yugoslavian S.M. 79's flying over a city on a shoreline.
All are in a wave pattern of 2 greens over light-blue under-carriages. They have bright metal bands around the cowings, blue, white red horizontal stripes on the rudder flaps.
The nearest one has a white serial no. EP 3710 on the rudder flap. The second one behind it has white serial no. EP 3711 on its rudder flap. The third one has its serial no. blurred.
They all wear Yugoslavian roundels.
One side panel has a color profile of the aircraft.
Smer is based in Prague, Czech Republic
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows 3 Yugoslavian S.M. 79's flying over a city on a shoreline.
All are in a wave pattern of 2 greens over light-blue under-carriages. They have bright metal bands around the cowings, blue, white red horizontal stripes on the rudder flaps.
The nearest one has a white serial no. EP 3710 on the rudder flap. The second one behind it has white serial no. EP 3711 on its rudder flap. The third one has its serial no. blurred.
They all wear Yugoslavian roundels.
One side panel has a color profile of the aircraft.
The bottom of the box has the painting and marking guide. It is a side, top and bottom view of the aircraft. Three colors are listed.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
Dispite how this kit was originally years ago, I took all the parts off the trees.
They are molded in pale-grey and clear.
The pale-grey parts are: fuselage halves (2 parts)
Dispite how this kit was originally years ago, I took all the parts off the trees.
They are molded in pale-grey and clear.
The pale-grey parts are: fuselage halves (2 parts)
The wing halves (4 parts)
Wing flaps (2 parts). Torpedo halves and mount (2 parts that I have assembled).
The propellers (3 parts) and the cowlings (3 parts).
The rudder halves (2 parts), elevator halves (4 parts).
The main wheel halves (4 parts), the landing gear legs (2 parts) along with the landing gear doors and the tail and rudder control surfaces ( 7 parts).
The engine-nacelles (5 parts with one extra half excess).
There are several loose parts that are the tail wheel, machine gun, dash, floor, etc. (35 parts).
The clear parts are the canopy and fuselage windows (7 parts). The smaller ones of these I have put into an empty pill vial with a lid for safe keeping.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet folded in the center to create 4 pages in 11 3/4" x 14", folded in half to fit the box.
Page 1 begins with a color illustration of a S.M.79 in the box art scheme with a Yugoslavian fighter (maybe it's a Spitfire ?) over a shoreline. This is actually the box art of another issue of the S.M. 79 by Smer.
Below this is the history of the S.M. 79 in Czech. Matter of fact, the whole instructions is in Czech only.
Page 2 has a lot of Czech text down the left-hand side of the page. The right-hand side and page 3 gives a total of 15 assembly steps, against all yellow backgrounds.
Page 4 has a 4-view illustration of the S.M. 79 in the box art scheme, over a list of what I think are all the names of the kit parts (but it's all in Czech), a service coupon and Smer's address in Prague, Czech Republic.
I have added an aftermarket set of decals, that are all Italian fascist roundels, by Tauro brand, set no. 48-501, that I paid $8.50 for, a set of True Details tan resin wheels, that I paid $3.50 for and 2 sets of Eduard brand brass PE frets, sets no. 48-089 & 48-090, that I paid $11.99 each for.
Page 1 begins with a color illustration of a S.M.79 in the box art scheme with a Yugoslavian fighter (maybe it's a Spitfire ?) over a shoreline. This is actually the box art of another issue of the S.M. 79 by Smer.
Below this is the history of the S.M. 79 in Czech. Matter of fact, the whole instructions is in Czech only.
Page 2 has a lot of Czech text down the left-hand side of the page. The right-hand side and page 3 gives a total of 15 assembly steps, against all yellow backgrounds.
Page 4 has a 4-view illustration of the S.M. 79 in the box art scheme, over a list of what I think are all the names of the kit parts (but it's all in Czech), a service coupon and Smer's address in Prague, Czech Republic.
I have added an aftermarket set of decals, that are all Italian fascist roundels, by Tauro brand, set no. 48-501, that I paid $8.50 for, a set of True Details tan resin wheels, that I paid $3.50 for and 2 sets of Eduard brand brass PE frets, sets no. 48-089 & 48-090, that I paid $11.99 each for.
The kit's decal sheet with Yugoslavian markings on it completes the kits contents. The assembly steps show 2 crew figures, however I found none in my kit. I might have lost them over the nearly 50 years that I've had this kit?
Detail is mainly of the raised variety.
Recommended.
Recommended.