Posts: 521 Joined: July 8th, 2013, 7:55 pm
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With Eswubes inestimable help i managed, finally, to draw this chubby looking beauty.
The Savoia-Marchetti Sm.82, nicknamed "Marsupiale" (Marsupial), was an Italian heavy transport and bomber airplane of the World War II. Approximately 400 of them were built and entered in service in 1940. In the bomber role, they were able to carry a bombload of up to 4000 kg. However, it saw very limited use in this role. Some of them served in the postwar until 1960.
Their best operation was the raid on Manama which was one of the longest air raid of the World War 2, where a group of these bombers took off from Rhodes island and flew to Manama, in Bahrein, bombed the petroleum refinery located then and set the course for Italian East Africa. Once the course had changed, they bombed the Saudi-Arabian town of Dhahran making it the only air raid performed in that country during the WW2. They landed in Italian Eritrea after 15 flight hours and 4200km traversed, making it the longest air raid performed by the Regia Aeronautica in WW2 and one of the longest, if not the longest, air raids of the Mediterranean Theatre of operations.
Many versions were made:
- SM.82 - The standard transport version with 32 seats and room for 50 men. It was produced in the following series:
I, 50 aircraft (MM.60260-60319) (December 1939 - December 1940)
II, 20 aircraft (MM.60320-60339) (December 1940 - February 1941)
III, 30 aircraft (MM.60483-60512) (March 1941 - June 1941)
IV, 50 aircraft (MM.60586-60635) ( July 1941 - December 1941)
V, 62 aircraft (MM.60721-60782) (January 1942 - August 1942)
VI, 102 aircraft (MM.60783-60884) (July 1942 - December 1942)
VII, 102 aircraft (MM.61175-61276) (March 1942 - July 1943)
VIII, 10 aircraft (MM.61314-61323) (July 1943 - december 1943)
VIII, 80 aircraft (MM.61398-61477) (July 1943 - November 1943)
IX, 120 aircraft (MM.61513-61632) ( November 1943 - April 1944)
X, 100 aircraft ordered, but only 87 built (MM.61782-61881) (April 1944 - September 1944)
SM.82 (Bomber) - With a bombardier's gondola and bomb racks. 68 aircraft were ordered, and others were modified to this standard, at least partially.
SM.82 Carro armato - Four aircraft were modified to carry the L3/35 light tank.
SM.82 Trasporto caccia -With modified ventral doors to accommodate a disassembled FIAT CR.32, then adapted for a FIAT CR.42. Only two aircraft (MM.60293 and MM.60294) were so ordered, and when used to deliver the aircraft to East Africa (a total of 51 aircraft) were fitted with two auxiliary fuel tanks (1,300 L/340 US gal each), and one additional oil tank (200 L/50 US gal).
SM.82 Trasporto motori - Two aircraft used to transport aircraft engines (MM.60290 and MM.60292) to Africa.
SM.82P - 21 aircraft of the VIII series, modified for the use of paratroops.
SM.82 tanker - Two aircraft to transport up to 3,000 L (790 US gal) of fuel. Weight: 11,300-18,700 kg (24,910-41,230 lb).
SM.82bis - 80 aircraft of series VIII, for night bombing, with 887 kW (1,190 hp) Piaggio P.XI engines. They were also fitted with the AR.128 engine, some in the S.82P and the S.82T versions.
SM.82 LATI - For international airlines. With ten seats, automatic pilot, toilet, enhanced radios, two additional fuel tanks of 653 L (173 US gal) each increased the range to 4,800 km (2,983 mi) at 250 km/h (155 mph). Maximum weight: 19,000 kg (41,888 lb). Only a few were built.
SM.82LW - Version for the Luftwaffe, with turrets and radios. 231 were in service in early 1944 in the "Savoia Gruppen", and were widely used in long range or heavy bombing missions.
S.82PD - An SM.75 modified for distance records, with 333 km/h (207 mph) over 1,000 km (620 mi) and 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), and 12,937 km (8,039 mi) in 57 h 32 min on 30 July-1 August 1939.
S.82PW - 20 S.82s modified postwar with Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines. Weight 12,100/18,700 kg (26,680/41,230 lb), max speed 381 km/h (237 mph), ceiling 6,000 m (19,690 ft).
Italy, Germany, Co-Belligerent Italy, Italian Social Republic, Savoia Marchetti Sm.82 "Canguru"
_________________ Currently working on:
- Fiat G.50
Breda Ba.64/65/75
Dornier Do.17/Do.215
Heinkel He.79
Junkers Ju.52
Junkers J.I
Repainting:
- Grumman F4F Wildcat/Grumman G-36
Caproni Ca.135bis
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