Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms Space By Flag By Year By Tag

Savoia-Marchetti SM.84

1941 WORLD WAR 2

History

With the start of World War II in September 1939, many existing aircraft of various types were forced into service, and the resulting operations often employed outdated methods in design and doctrine. Additionally, aviation technology began to pick up pace, making many pre-war mounts expendable or useless for years to come. This is the case with the Savoia-Marchetti SM of the Italian Air Force (Regia Aeronautica).

79 "Sparrowhawk" series three-engine bomber. It was introduced in 1936, and between then and the end of the war in 1945, about 1,350 were produced. By 1940, however, a newer, more modern form of the bomber was being sought.

Savoia-Marchetti engineers took the basic three-engine design with its low monoplane wing and modernized it for a better product. The hull has been modified and an upgraded engine has been installed. The original wings were retained, and the cockpit flight deck remained in a stepped position above the long nose assembly.

The tail consists of a twin vertical tail arrangement, and the landing gear has a "smearing" configuration. Armor protection for crew and systems has been improved compared to the "softer" SM. It uses 79 series and self-sealing fuel tanks. The structure consists of a tubular steel base with metal skin and fabric on the fuselage, while the wings are made of wood.

The hull houses an internal bomb bay.

A prototype was developed, which made its first flight on June 5, 1940. After the necessary test flight phases, the aircraft entered production in December and was officially launched in 1941 under the designation "SM.84". It is designed to take over the aging SM. 79 series completed.

The three-motor concept enables additional traction without major intervention in the overall design. Several famous three-engine aircraft were used during the war, including Ford's famous three-engine, and Junkers' Ju 52.

When done, SM. The 84 consisted of a crew of up to 6 people - pilot, radio operator, engineer, bombardier and machine gunner. Dimensions include a length of 18 meters, a wingspan of 21 meters and a height of 4.6 meters. The curb weight is 19,500 pounds, and the fully loaded weight is nearly 29,330 pounds. Propulsion is provided by 3 Piaggio P. XI RC 40 14-cylinder radial piston engines with 14 cylinders - one on the nose and two along the leading edge of each wing as usual.

Each has an output of 1,000 horsepower, a top speed of 270 mph, a range of up to 1,140 miles, and a service ceiling of 25,920 feet.

Armament starts with a standard mounted 4 x 12.7mm Scott machine gun. These are positioned as defense systems around the fuselage. One was added to the dorsal position above and behind the cockpit, while the other was mounted on the belly (rear). Machine guns were also installed in each beam area to protect the vulnerable side of the aircraft. Frontal attacks had to be dealt with by the rear gunner, but the position of the guns made it impossible to fire through the rotating propeller blades of the nose-mounted engines.

In addition to their local defense kit, SM. The 84 also received an internal bomb bay that could hold up to 4,400 pounds of guns. Additionally, she was required to handle anti-ship operations and was therefore allowed to carry at least two Italian Navy torpedoes on her belly instead of bombs.

From what was said above, SM. The 84 originally deployed on 2 February 1941 with 12th Squadron, 41st Bombardment Group. In practice, the bomber did not become the successor to the SM. 79 originally intended. There were of course some early, albeit limited, successes, but equally losses.

A successful torpedo attack on HMS Nelson took her out of the war for a while, but this happened at the loss of six Italian bombers and crew. In fact, most of her service career saw SM. The 84 was used as a maritime patrol and assault platform, usually carrying only one torpedo.

Operations included aircraft over Malta and Allied landings in North Africa during Operation Torch.

At the time of the Italian surrender in September 1943, there were only 150 SMs. Of the 84 available, only about 100 are in airworthy condition. Like other Regia Aeronautica aircraft after the surrender, the SM.

84 aircraft fell into the inventory of the pro-Allied "common war" Alitalia Air Service and the Axis Alliance's Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, but these proved to be small in number and had little impact on ongoing operations - prefer Feldjager . The Luftwaffe claimed some examples of their own and some were shipped to Slovakia to support the Axis cause, heading to Berlin before the fall of Italy.

When entering service late in World War II, the aircraft was rapidly withdrawn from front-line service for a period of time that followed. It was not a popular design for crew or commanders, and it never completely replaced the SM. 79's in action. Only one notable variant emerged, the SM.

84bis, which tried to solve some problems, but no longer succeeded by itself. SM. The 84ter was a "one-off" development that appeared in 1944 and was equipped with 3 Piaggio P. XII series engines with 1,500 hp each. This faster design was lost in a 1946 landing and was discontinued.

Sources give a total production of 309 aircraft.