SIAI-Marchetti SM79 Torpedo-Bomber "Sparviero"

SIAI-Marchetti SM79 Torpedo-Bomber

The SM79 was the most famous version of a line of tri-motor Italian bombers. It was christened Sparviero (Sparrow Hawk) but it's 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 it's own as a torpedo-bomber. The image here is from the Spanish Civil War, hence the colours 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.

Technical Details
The S.M.79 II had a crew of four, with three 1000 hp Piaggio P.XI RC40 radial engines. It boasted a speed of 267 mph (434km/h), a ceiling of 23,000 ft (7000m) and a range of 1,180 mi (1900km). It was armed with four or five machine guns (usually a mixture of 12.7 mm and 7.7mm guns) one facing forwards over the cockpit, one facing backwards from the "hump", one facing forwards in a ventral position and one each for side windows. It could carry 1250 kg of bombs internally, or a single torpedo externally.

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Image From:
Mauro De Vita, Bergamo, Italy. With his permission.