Scale aviation modeller international

Airfix 1/72 Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Serie II

Bomber by Stephen J Di Nucci

Photographs: Phil Jones and Stephen J Di Nucci

INTRODUCTION

T

he Savoia Marchetti S.79

was one of several large

three-engine bomber and

transport types designed by the

Italians during the 1930s. Pre-war

public opinion had been carefully

groomed, both in Italy and abroad,

through a number of world-record

flights by “civilian” types, at

the end of which the S.79 gained

an impressive reputation for

distance and speed flying. During

the Spanish Civil War, it began

to also develop its reputation as

a bomber, where it was almost

impervious to interception.

Although many believed that this

was due to its performance, in

truth it was also due to the quality

of the available fighter opposition.

Unfortunately for the Italians,

this belief persisted into the

Second World War, even when the

performance of fighter aircraft

across Europe moved rapidly ahead

of that of bombers. Nevertheless,

the aircraft was a stable weapons

platform and could absorb battle

damage, and before long, in its

final and best role as a torpedo

bomber, it was the scourge of the

Royal Navy in the Mediterranean.

In order to provide dorsal

accommodation for both forward

(attack) and rear (defence) guns,

it had been necessary to spoil

the earlier sleek airliner design

with a humped fairing. This soon

drew the nickname “Il Gobbo”

(Hunchback), or even “Il Gobbo

Maledetto”. The British called

it the “Damned Hunchback”.

ELECTRIC MAN

The

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82 • JANUARY 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

BY SACCO DE VRIES

SAVOIA MARCHETTI S.79

BY STEPHEN J DI NUCCI

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