Savoia-Marchetti SM.95

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoia-Marchetti_SM.95

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.95 was an Italian four-engine, mid-range transport
aircraft, which first flew in 1943. It was the successor of the Savoia-Marchetti
SM.75.

The SM.95 was announced in 1937, when the future was seen in the 4-engined
aircraft. Until that time Italy had mainly used 3-engined aircraft. The SM.95,
designed by Alessandro Marchetti, first flew on 8 May 1943. Originally named
SM.76 it was fitted with four 750 hp A.R. 126 RC.34. In 1939 the project was
renamed SM.95C (C for Civil), with the more powerful Alfa Romeo RC.18 (860 hp)
engine.

With the start of World War II, this project was stopped until December 1941,
when L.A.T.I. called for a 4-engined useful for South American routes. It had,
nevertheless, inferior performances compared to P.108C and Z.511A, both metallic
and more powerful. But the new SM.95 had lower costs and a swifter development.

The aircraft was similar to other contemporary airliners, but the construction
was mixed. Welded steel was used for the fuselage structure, with light alloy
covering fitted to the nose, underside and rear fuselage, and fabric covering
for the fuselage sides and roof. The three-spar wing was also of wooden
construction, with plywood skinning. The engines drove three-bladed metal
constant speed propellers.

The two pilots sat side by side in an enclosed cockpit, while behind them sat
the flight engineer (on the left) and radio operator (on the right). Behind the
cockpit, there was normally seating for 20–30 passengers, with up to 38 being
able to be carried over short ranges.

There was an initial need for a bomber version, SM.95B, with enhanced engines
and a weapon set. Nevertheless, the first to fly was the SM.95C, on 3 August
1943, at (Vergiate), with Guglielmo Algarotti flying.


Role
Civil airliner / military transport

Manufacturer
Savoia-Marchetti

First flight
8 May 1943

Primary user
Regia Aeronautica

Produced
1942–1949

Number built
20

Developed from
Savoia-Marchetti SM.75

Italy's armistice with the Allies in September 1943 stopped the program, and the
only two aircraft built at the time were requisitioned by the Germans and sent
to Germany, where they flew with the Luftwaffe and were subsequently lost.

On 28 July 1945, a third example flew, used with a fourth (still unfinished at
the end of the war) with the Aeronautica Militare. One was taken by the RAF. The
service with A.M. started after April 1946. Alitalia bought six examples, in
service from 1947. LATI bought three examples in 1949. Lastly, four SM.95s were
bought by SAIDE. They were used on the Cairo-Rome-Paris route. The only military
customer was AMI, which had five of them.

SM.95C was a development model. The first were produced with AR.128 RC.18, the
third with A.R. 131 RC.14/50, the next examples had Bristol Pegasus 48 (1,005
hp), and LATI used even more powerful Twin Wasp R-1830 (1,217 hp). A final
development, the SM.95S with a metal structure, was planned but not built.

The last SM.95 was completed on 18 November 1949, the last of twenty officially
built. They had an unexceptional performance, even with PW engines, and had no
pressurization at all, therefore they could not fly very high. The mixed
construction did not last too long: the last flight was on 28 September 1954
(1950 with Alitalia).

On January 27'th 1951 lightning struck the Alitalia Savoia-Marchetti SM.95B
Ugolino Vivaldi (registration I-DALO, eerily named after the first Italian pilot
killed in an aviation accident falling from his plane in 1910) during a flight
from Paris-Le Bourget Airport in Paris, France, to Roma-Ciampino Airport in
Rome, Italy. The aircraft caught fire and crashed north of Civitavecchia, Italy,
killing 14 of the 17 people on board.

Operation "S"

The interest for a military use was confirmed with a very daring mission: the
bombing of New York. In July 1939, the S.M.75 obtained a record of 12,935 km
(8,034 mi), there were several long-range missions both with S.M.82 and the
S.M.75, while for S operation it was considered the 4-engined CANT Z.511, an
all-metal floatplane. It had, however, some shortcomings: basically it needed to
be refuelled by a submarine in the middle of the ocean. Although it was able to
operate in adverse sea conditions (up to force-5 gales), this was not a very
good idea, especially in the last year of war. It was proposed that a long-range
version of this aircraft, the SM.95 GA (with a range of over 11,000 km/6,840 mi)
could be used to mount a bombing raid on New York City launched from Western
France, but the presence of many Italian-Americans in the city meant that Benito
Mussolini would only authorize the dropping of propaganda pamphlets. It was
reported that the fuel load was raised to 23,800 kg, for a total of 39,3 tons.
The mission, with a 500 kg (1,100 lb) load, was still in preparation when Italy
signed the Armistice in September 1943.


Specifications (SM.95)

General characteristics
Crew: 4–5
Capacity: 20–38 passengers
Length: 24.77 m (81 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 34.28 m (112 ft 6 in)
Height: 5.25 m (17 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 1,283 m2 (13,810 sq ft)
Empty weight: 13,310 kg (29,344 lb)
Gross weight: 21,655 kg (47,741 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × Alfa Romeo 128 R.C.18 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston
engines, 634 kW (850 hp) each
Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers

Performance
Maximum speed: 361 km/h (224 mph, 195 kn)
Cruise speed: 315 km/h (196 mph, 170 kn)
Range: 2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi)
Service ceiling: 6,350 m (20,830 ft)




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