1/48 Classic Airframes Kit No: 452, Savoia Marchetti SM.79 Italian Bomber

USED: Unused, Box opened, Contients Sealed, undamaged item. See the seller’s listing for full details. Box is not in perfect shape. Missing decals.    

This is a plastic model kit from Classic Airframes. Kit consists of unassembled and unpainted plastic parts. Assembly is required.

Please Note: The box is opened and has shelf wear, all model parts are sealed in original bags. Missing decals.

(RARE, OUT OF PRODUCTION)

Kit Contents:

• Five sprues of injected plastic (about 60 parts)

• Two bags with resin detail parts (about 50 parts)

• One clear sprue (11 parts)

• One photo etched fret ( 7 parts)

• Missing decal sheet

• Instruction booklet with painting guide

Classic Airframes 1/48 scale Savoia Marchetti SM.79 

Nice surface details, excellent resin parts, clear plastic parts are very clear and crisply molded, interesting subject with clear instructions. 

Classic Airframes vs Trumpeter Sm.79…which is better? 

There is no contest, the Classic Airframes kit is far superior in terms of overall shape accuracy, better detail and the kit is well-engineered.  It is probably one of Classic Airframes best produced kits. If you take your time to test-fit parts and trim where necessary, you will have little difficulty assembling this model. 

Background:

The “Sparviero” was the most important Italian bomber of World War II, this tough three-engined aircraft established a reputation that contrasted with most Italian weapons of the day. S.M. 79s served widely in the normal bombing role, but it is as a land-based torpedo bomber that the type deserves its place in military aviation history, being regarded by many as one of the finest torpedo bombers of the war.

The prototype appeared in late 1934 and subsequently had a varied career, setting records and winning races with various engines and painted in civil or military markings. It first flew on 2 September 1935, powered by three 750 hp AlfaRomeo 125 RC.34 engines, and so following the Regia Aeronautica’s preferred tri-motor formula. About 1,300 production models were built over a nine year period. They had internal provision for 2,750 lb (1,250 kg) of bombs, supplemented by under fuselage racks for a pair of heavy bombs, or two torpedoes in the case of the SM.79-II and SM.79-III.

The SM.79 had a distinctive ‘hump’ on the upper forward fuselage, which housed both the fixed forward-firing heavy machine-gun and the dorsal gunner’s position. Its appearance earned the aircraft the nickname “Gobbo Maleditto” (“Damned Hunchback”). In spite of its cumbersome appearance and outdated steel tube/wood/fabric construction, the S.M.79 was a rugged, reliable multi-role medium bomber which did quite a bit of damage in the face of heavy opposition.

When Italy joined the war in 1940 its air force had nearly 1,000 bombers, of which well over half were Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 Sparviero (Hawk) medium bombers. An effective torpedo bomber as well, the S.M.79 served in the air forces of Brazil, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Romania and Spain, some right up to the end of the war. Post-war surviving SM.79s were converted into various versions of utility transports during the last phases of the war and survived in that role until 1952.