Savoia-Marchetti SM.81
| SM.81 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Savoia Marchetti SM.81 of the Aviazione Legionaria in action during the Spanish Civil War (escorted by Fiat CR.32 fighters) | |
| Role | Bomber and transport aircraft |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | Savoia-Marchetti |
| First flight | 1934 |
| Introduction | 1935 |
| Retired | 1950 |
| Primary users |
Regia Aeronautica Spanish Air Force Aeronautica Militare |
| Number built | 535 |
| Developed from | Savoia-Marchetti S.73 |
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Pipistrello (Italian: bat) was the first three-engine bomber/transport aircraft serving in the Italian Regia Aeronautica. When it appeared in 1935, it represented a real step ahead in Italian military aviation: it was fast, well armed and had a long range. It proved effective during the war with Ethiopia and the Spanish Civil War. Despite being too slow to remain competitive as a bomber in the later years of World War II, it was one of the most flexible, reliable and important aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica from 1935-1944, and adapted to second-line duties in a wide range of tasks.
The SM.81 was a militarised version of Savoia-Marchetti's earlier SM.73 airliner, having cantilever wings, three engines and a fixed undercarriage. The origins of this version were in pursuit of the interests of Italo Balbo, a brilliant exponent of the Fascist regime (but nevertheless "exiled" in Libya by Mussolini), who required a fast and efficient aircraft that was capable of serving the vast Italian colonies in Africa.
The SM.81 had wings that were roughly similar to those of the double-fuselage S.55, and identical to those of the S.73, but had a much simpler fuselage. Around six months after the SM.73s first appearance, the SM.81 prototype (MM.20099) first flew from Vergiate, near Varese, on 8 February 1935, controlled by test pilot Adriano Bacula. The first serie, ordered in 1935, was for 100 aircraft and was quickly put into production as a result of the international crisis and the embargo caused by the war in Ethiopia. The first examples were sent to 7 Wing at Campo della Promessa airbase near Lonate Pozzolo.
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