There are only two complete preserved
examples of the Sparviero, both in Italy. One
of them is housed in the Caproni Museum at
Trento, Northern Italy. The other, as depicted
here, is in the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigne
de Valle, on the shore of Lake Bracciano, a little
outside of Rome. Both aircraft are ex-Lebanese
Air Force. Both are outwardly configured as
bombers rather than torpedo-bombers, but
the Lebanese would have had no use for either
and they were used instead in utility roles. The
photographs that follow were taken in 1995.Cowling detail again, this time for the left engine, giving a clear idea of the amount of kick-out at the very end of the exhaust. Note the curvature of the
gear door, and the way that it hangs from within the space and not from the outside edge of the nacelle. Note also the shadow of the extended leading-
edge wing slat in the top left-hand corner.A view of the main undercarriage and the inside surface of one of the gear doors. Note how the edge of the door touches the side of the gear leg. Note
also the structural tubing inside the nacelle, finishing to a triangulation point to the right of the aft door hinge.Engine and spinner detail for the nine-cylinder Alfa Romeo
AR.128. The military S.79 had spent most of its operational life
powered by the essentially similar Alfa Romeo AR.126 RC34
nine-cylinder radial. The prop blades on all S.79s were narrow.A view of the upper part of the undercarriage
inside the bay.Useful underneath detail, except that the wartime S.79 had its belly landing light
placed slightly further back, as evidenced by the circular patch plate. To the rear of
that may be seen the forward part of a large belly panel, which in the S.79 torpedo
bomber contained some of the internal torpedo mechanisms. The thinness of
the cowling edge is obvious, but what appears to be an inner cowling is in fact, the
edge of a large cone-shaped fairing which hid the engine-bearers, giving less drag
to air flowing straight through the engine to the rear.WWW.SAMPUBLICATIONS.COM • MARCH 2018 • 83
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