vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
Well done Geo, you have had a lot more luck than I have.
1/72 Savoia-Marchetti S.55X - Seaplanes / Floatplanes of WWII
- Thread starter Capt. Vick
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- Thread starter
- #82
Thanks Geo, but that is a militarized early version. Though there are some significant differences between it and the "X" version (different tail booms, different engines, open verses closed cockpit, different ways of fairing the top of each fuselage pontoon into the leading edge of the wing) which is what the kit represents, I will be using the information on the "M" torpedo mount at the very least. I'm not prepared to make that somewhat drastic just yet. I'm still hoping to find an "X" picture from the late 30's fitted out for war.
fubar57
General
Dayum, I'm outta books.
Geo
Geo
N4521U
Colonel
I have to admit, this one is Different in appearance.
Great efforts so far. Keep crackin on.
Great efforts so far. Keep crackin on.
- Thread starter
- #87
Received some more ref material...
mikewint
Captain
Jim, that is a very neat looking model. Do you have any interior shots (real not model)?
- Thread starter
- #90
Sure Mike. Will post a few when I get to work tonight.
mikewint
Captain
Don't know why but it reminds me of a Star Trek starship
meatloaf109
1st Lieutenant
Jim, you are doing a great job on a difficult model, keep it up!
- Thread starter
- #93
Mike, here are some cockpit photos of various versions. There are a few more shots of inside the pontoons, but I can't extract them from the PDF's right now...
nice...
mikewint
Captain
The floats would then be where the passengers sat?
- Thread starter
- #97
Yup, and from what I understand it was quite noisy. Or in the military version, the radio operator. I believe the engineer sat behind the pilots in a separate cut out under the canopy.
- Thread starter
- #98
I recieved the following from Mitch Williamson:
James Nicoletti
I can find no mention of S-55X being armed in my references….but I haven't finished yet.
One of the most highly-publicized aircraft in the' world for its time was the Savoia-Marchetti SM. 55 twin-engined twin-hull flying boat. Famous for a series of transatlantic flights in an era when any aerial crossing was considered extremely hazardous, the SM. 55 rightly aroused great public interest. Understanding that most of these flights were made as propaganda demonstrations of the Fascist government does not alter the fact that the design was excellent and the accomplishments exceptional. Projected in 1923 as one of Ing. Marchetti's earliest designs for S.IA.I., the SM. 55 was conceived as a torpedo bomber and mine layer, for which roles the twin-hull arrangement adopted was ideal.
The highly original layout featured two hulls some 14 ft. 9 in. between centers, a thick cantilever three-section wing with pilots' cockpit in the leading edge, two engines mounted in tandem on pylons above the wing, driving tractor and pusher two-bladed airscrews, and a vertical tail assembly consisting of two fins and three rudders atop the tailplane, mounted on twin booms extending back from the hulls. The extremely sea-worthy structure was plywood-covered spruce, ash, and plywood throughout, with fabric-covered control surfaces.
The designation SM has been applied here to all the Marchetti-designed aircraft in the interests of uniformity, although a number of the earlier designs were usually prefixed only by the letter S. Either form of designation is acceptable, however. The original military SM. 55M of 1925, with two 400 h. p. Lorraine-Dietrich engines, featured observers' cockpits in the rear of each hull with Scarff ring mountings for 7,7-mm. machine guns. Torpedoes, bombs, or mines could be carried below the center section of the wing. Nose gun positions were added later. In addition to the military model, ten to twelve-passenger (five-six in each hull) commercial models, the SM. 55C and P, were built for Aero Espressa Italiana for the Brindisi-Constantinople line, and for the Società Aerea Mediterranea for the Rome-Cagliari run. The original SM. 55 had a span of 78 ft. 9 in., a length of 52 ft. 6 in., a height of 16 ft. 5 in., and a wing area of 1000.7 sq. ft. Empty and loaded weights of the military model were 8140 lb. and 12,540 lb. Performance included a maximum speed of 131 m. p. h. and an alighting speed of 56 m.p.h. Hydrodynamic characteristics were excellent; in addition to the ruggedness and stability in heavy seas, the SM. 55 was considered to be extremely graceful (for a six-ton machine!) when arising from or alighting on the water. Climbing, however, was not exceptional, 3280 ft. being reached in 3 min. 20 sec., 6560 ft. in 8 min. 21 sec., 9840 ft. in 16 min. 15 sec., and 16,400 ft. in one hour. The latter altitude represented for all practical purposes the service ceiling of the Lorraine-powered SM. 55 Duration was 4-10 hrs.
In 1926 two 500 h. p. Isotta-Fraschini Asso twelve-cylinder vee engines replaced the Lorraines. Increased loaded weight limited maximum speed to 127 m. p. h., but additional fuel permitted a normal range of 750 miles or a maximum of 1350 miles. Cruising speed was 100 m. p. h. The same year the SM. 55 captured fourteen world records for speed, altitude, load, and distance. With the same model, Col. 11 Marchese de Pinedo made the first of the SM. 55's many famous flights. In 1927, De Pinedo's flying boat, dubbed the Santa Maria, made a 28,000-mile flight around the Atlantic, starting from Elmas, Sardinia, on February 13. De Pinedo was on one stage towed 200 miles over the water to the Azores on his way back to Italy. In North America he landed on numerous lakes and rivers; on an artificial lake near Phoenix, Arizona, a carelessly discarded cigarette accidentally set fire to the plane and destroyed it. A second machine, the Santa Maria II a ,was sent by ship from Italy. With the replacement De Pinedo flew to the Eastern United States and Canada, and finally back to Italy by way of the Azores and Lisbon, completing the journey on June 16. Demonstrating the strength and dependability of the SM. 55, De Pinedo's flight was a great boost for the possibilities of transatlantic commercial service, despite the fact that the Santa Maria was a military model. The following year the SM. 55 of the Brazilians De Barros and Braga completed a more direct flight from Italy to their homeland.
The improved SM. 55A, with two 700 h. p. FIAT A. 24R twelve-cylinder vee or 800 h. p. Isotta-Frascnmi Asso eighteen-cylinder W-type engines, appeared in 1930. Empty and loaded weights were 11,440 lb. and 16,940 lb. Maximum' speed was 147 m. p. h., alighting speed 68 m. p. h., and range 1242-2174 miles. Climb to 3280 ft. required 4 min. 40 sec., to 6560 ft. 11 min. 40 sec., to 9840 ft. 23 min., and to 13,120 ft. 48 min. Ceiling was 13,776 ft. Dimensions were: span 79 ft. 11 in., length 54 ft. 2 in., and wing area 989.9 sq. ft. Twelve SM. 55A's made a 6500-mile mass flight from Ortobello (Rome) to Rio de Janeiro in 1930, led by Air Marshall Halo Balbo.
This flight was overshadowed three years later by the North Atlantic crossing of twenty-four machines (with a twenty-fifth as reserve) on the occasion of the Chicago World's Fair. An aerodynamically-refined model, the SM. 55X, powered by 750 h. p. Isotta-Fraschini Asso engines, was employed. Changes included much smoother hulls and engine cowlings, fairings at the joining of all major components, and three-bladed metal airscrews with spinners. Although weights matched those of the 1930 model, maximum speed was improved to 174 m.p.h. and range to 2794 miles. Cruising speed was 146 m. p. h. One SM. 55X crashed at Amsterdam on the outward journey and another at the Azores on the return flight, but twenty-four machines made triumphant arrivals at Chicago and New York. This flight, more than any other single accomplishment, gave Italy her great prestige in the field of aviation during the 1930's, and was of inestimable political value. The 6065-mile outward trip (Ortobello-Chicago) was made in 48 hrs. 47 min. flying time, for an average of 124.6 m. p. h. Total distance was 11,495 miles. Four squadrons (Nera, Rossa, Bianca, Verde = Black, Red, White, and Green) of six machines each were led respectively by Gen. Balbo (civil registration appropriately I-BALB), Capt. Nannini (I-NANN), Capt. Giordano (I-GIOR), and Capt. Biani (I-BIAN). The registrations of the remaining 20 aircraft also indicated their captains.
A less well known flight of the SM. 55 was that of Demcenko and Koukin from Sesto Calende to Petropavlovsk, approximately 14,000 miles across Siberia, in 1932. Besides the more spectacular long-distance flights, the SM. 55 had a long career with the Regia Marina, serving for more than ten years. Although 13 machines were listed as available in 1939, the SM. 55 had by that time reached the end of its service life, and was withdrawn. No machines of the type saw wartime service. The SM. 60 was a landplane bomber version which was never built.
Attached pic
The SM.55M military torpedo bombing and mine laying flying boat. Note uncowled engines, gun position.
Best Wishes
Mitch
James Nicoletti
I can find no mention of S-55X being armed in my references….but I haven't finished yet.
One of the most highly-publicized aircraft in the' world for its time was the Savoia-Marchetti SM. 55 twin-engined twin-hull flying boat. Famous for a series of transatlantic flights in an era when any aerial crossing was considered extremely hazardous, the SM. 55 rightly aroused great public interest. Understanding that most of these flights were made as propaganda demonstrations of the Fascist government does not alter the fact that the design was excellent and the accomplishments exceptional. Projected in 1923 as one of Ing. Marchetti's earliest designs for S.IA.I., the SM. 55 was conceived as a torpedo bomber and mine layer, for which roles the twin-hull arrangement adopted was ideal.
The highly original layout featured two hulls some 14 ft. 9 in. between centers, a thick cantilever three-section wing with pilots' cockpit in the leading edge, two engines mounted in tandem on pylons above the wing, driving tractor and pusher two-bladed airscrews, and a vertical tail assembly consisting of two fins and three rudders atop the tailplane, mounted on twin booms extending back from the hulls. The extremely sea-worthy structure was plywood-covered spruce, ash, and plywood throughout, with fabric-covered control surfaces.
The designation SM has been applied here to all the Marchetti-designed aircraft in the interests of uniformity, although a number of the earlier designs were usually prefixed only by the letter S. Either form of designation is acceptable, however. The original military SM. 55M of 1925, with two 400 h. p. Lorraine-Dietrich engines, featured observers' cockpits in the rear of each hull with Scarff ring mountings for 7,7-mm. machine guns. Torpedoes, bombs, or mines could be carried below the center section of the wing. Nose gun positions were added later. In addition to the military model, ten to twelve-passenger (five-six in each hull) commercial models, the SM. 55C and P, were built for Aero Espressa Italiana for the Brindisi-Constantinople line, and for the Società Aerea Mediterranea for the Rome-Cagliari run. The original SM. 55 had a span of 78 ft. 9 in., a length of 52 ft. 6 in., a height of 16 ft. 5 in., and a wing area of 1000.7 sq. ft. Empty and loaded weights of the military model were 8140 lb. and 12,540 lb. Performance included a maximum speed of 131 m. p. h. and an alighting speed of 56 m.p.h. Hydrodynamic characteristics were excellent; in addition to the ruggedness and stability in heavy seas, the SM. 55 was considered to be extremely graceful (for a six-ton machine!) when arising from or alighting on the water. Climbing, however, was not exceptional, 3280 ft. being reached in 3 min. 20 sec., 6560 ft. in 8 min. 21 sec., 9840 ft. in 16 min. 15 sec., and 16,400 ft. in one hour. The latter altitude represented for all practical purposes the service ceiling of the Lorraine-powered SM. 55 Duration was 4-10 hrs.
In 1926 two 500 h. p. Isotta-Fraschini Asso twelve-cylinder vee engines replaced the Lorraines. Increased loaded weight limited maximum speed to 127 m. p. h., but additional fuel permitted a normal range of 750 miles or a maximum of 1350 miles. Cruising speed was 100 m. p. h. The same year the SM. 55 captured fourteen world records for speed, altitude, load, and distance. With the same model, Col. 11 Marchese de Pinedo made the first of the SM. 55's many famous flights. In 1927, De Pinedo's flying boat, dubbed the Santa Maria, made a 28,000-mile flight around the Atlantic, starting from Elmas, Sardinia, on February 13. De Pinedo was on one stage towed 200 miles over the water to the Azores on his way back to Italy. In North America he landed on numerous lakes and rivers; on an artificial lake near Phoenix, Arizona, a carelessly discarded cigarette accidentally set fire to the plane and destroyed it. A second machine, the Santa Maria II a ,was sent by ship from Italy. With the replacement De Pinedo flew to the Eastern United States and Canada, and finally back to Italy by way of the Azores and Lisbon, completing the journey on June 16. Demonstrating the strength and dependability of the SM. 55, De Pinedo's flight was a great boost for the possibilities of transatlantic commercial service, despite the fact that the Santa Maria was a military model. The following year the SM. 55 of the Brazilians De Barros and Braga completed a more direct flight from Italy to their homeland.
The improved SM. 55A, with two 700 h. p. FIAT A. 24R twelve-cylinder vee or 800 h. p. Isotta-Frascnmi Asso eighteen-cylinder W-type engines, appeared in 1930. Empty and loaded weights were 11,440 lb. and 16,940 lb. Maximum' speed was 147 m. p. h., alighting speed 68 m. p. h., and range 1242-2174 miles. Climb to 3280 ft. required 4 min. 40 sec., to 6560 ft. 11 min. 40 sec., to 9840 ft. 23 min., and to 13,120 ft. 48 min. Ceiling was 13,776 ft. Dimensions were: span 79 ft. 11 in., length 54 ft. 2 in., and wing area 989.9 sq. ft. Twelve SM. 55A's made a 6500-mile mass flight from Ortobello (Rome) to Rio de Janeiro in 1930, led by Air Marshall Halo Balbo.
This flight was overshadowed three years later by the North Atlantic crossing of twenty-four machines (with a twenty-fifth as reserve) on the occasion of the Chicago World's Fair. An aerodynamically-refined model, the SM. 55X, powered by 750 h. p. Isotta-Fraschini Asso engines, was employed. Changes included much smoother hulls and engine cowlings, fairings at the joining of all major components, and three-bladed metal airscrews with spinners. Although weights matched those of the 1930 model, maximum speed was improved to 174 m.p.h. and range to 2794 miles. Cruising speed was 146 m. p. h. One SM. 55X crashed at Amsterdam on the outward journey and another at the Azores on the return flight, but twenty-four machines made triumphant arrivals at Chicago and New York. This flight, more than any other single accomplishment, gave Italy her great prestige in the field of aviation during the 1930's, and was of inestimable political value. The 6065-mile outward trip (Ortobello-Chicago) was made in 48 hrs. 47 min. flying time, for an average of 124.6 m. p. h. Total distance was 11,495 miles. Four squadrons (Nera, Rossa, Bianca, Verde = Black, Red, White, and Green) of six machines each were led respectively by Gen. Balbo (civil registration appropriately I-BALB), Capt. Nannini (I-NANN), Capt. Giordano (I-GIOR), and Capt. Biani (I-BIAN). The registrations of the remaining 20 aircraft also indicated their captains.
A less well known flight of the SM. 55 was that of Demcenko and Koukin from Sesto Calende to Petropavlovsk, approximately 14,000 miles across Siberia, in 1932. Besides the more spectacular long-distance flights, the SM. 55 had a long career with the Regia Marina, serving for more than ten years. Although 13 machines were listed as available in 1939, the SM. 55 had by that time reached the end of its service life, and was withdrawn. No machines of the type saw wartime service. The SM. 60 was a landplane bomber version which was never built.
Attached pic
The SM.55M military torpedo bombing and mine laying flying boat. Note uncowled engines, gun position.
Best Wishes
Mitch
- Thread starter
- #99
Duplicate post...so here is a picture of my female Dachshund at the vet after a bee stung her mouth:
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