– FS2002/FS2004 Savoia Marchetti SM79

FS2002/FS2004 Savoia Marchetti SM79 Sparviero. The SM79 was the most famous version of a line of tri-motor Italian bombers. It was christened Sparviero (Sparrow Hawk) but its crewmen called it Gobbo (Hunchback). This sturdy hump-backed aircraft dated back to 1934 and didn’t look like much, but it provided valuable service in all Italian theaters, even in the most difficult conditions. Originally created as a bomber, it really came into its own as a torpedo-bomber. The image here is from the Spanish Civil War, hence the colors are not those of WWII. Production ceased in 1944 after about 1370 aircraft were built. It was used by the Italians after the war as a transport and target tug. By Kazunori Ito. 2,8 Mb