Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero

what is it?

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero (Italian for sparrowhawk) is a three-engined medium bomber developed and manufactured by the Italian aviation company Savoia-Marchetti. It may be the best-known Italian aeroplane of the Second World War. The SM.79 was easily recognizable due to its fuselage's distinctive dorsal "hump", and was reportedly well liked by its crews.

🔎How to recognise it: 3 piston engines with propellers · low wing · 20.2 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 460 km/htop speed
• range 2,600 kmwithout refuelling
• size 10.1 tmax take-off weight
• built 1,370made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 92 years ago, in 1934.
• 🏎️Top speed is 3.5× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 20.2 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 2,600 km: 14× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1934-09-28

introduced

1937

retired

1952

status

retired

number built

1,370

role

medium bomber, torpedo bomber, transport aircraft

origin

Kingdom of Italy

makers

SIAI-Marchetti

engines

3× Alfa 128 R.C.18 / Alfa Romeo 126 R.C.34

crew

6

length

16.2 m

wingspan

20.2 m

height

4.1 m

max take-off weight

10.1 t

top speed

460 km/h

range

2,600 km

ceiling

7,500 m

wings

low wing

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.