Italian SM.82 carrying Fiat Cr.42

[robertlundin]

Hi
I bought the Ali d'Italia volume 14 on the SM.82 and found a few pictures of a CR.42 loaded on one of the cargo versions of teh SM.82.

My questions is, does anyone know how the CR.42 was loaded? The standard cargo door must have been way too narrow, and the larger, double cargo doors were installed only after the war.

Another question concerns the camo and markings of this cargo plane (think I have read that only 2 were converted as plane carriers).

Reagrds
Robert Lundin

Aircraft Walkaround Center
The Aircraft Walkaround Center

 

[red admiral]

I'm pretty sure it was through the floor doors. I think there's a picture showing it floating around the net somewhere.

 

[Marcogrifo]

Hi,
don't know if you have seen this, not an airplane but I think it's self-explanatory

Cheers

 

[vikingBerserker]

Hi Robert, welcome aboard. Red and Marcogrifo are correct, it was loaded via ventral doors.

I confirmed the info here: Air, Land and Sea: 2009-02-15

 

[robertlundin]

Many thanks for the information. Looking at the picture more closely it seems that these ventral doors must have benn placed just behind the main wing spar.

Regards
Robert Lundin

 

[Vincenzo]

the ventral doors were the bomb bay doors... so nothing strange on theyr position

 

[robertlundin]

OK, but there must have been an access from the bomb bay to the cargo space I assume?

The CR.42 was not underslung, as the light tank was, it was carried inside the fuselage. The tank was hung in the bomb bay and the bomb bay doors were cut out and the tanks track protruded through these.

Regards
Robert Lundin

 

[Marcogrifo]

OK, but there must have been an access from the bomb bay to the cargo space I assume?

Standard SM.82s had floors composed of detachable panels, so that it was possibile to make more room for big loads; I suppose special planes had this feature too...

Cheers

 

[Vincenzo]

here there is a pics of C.R. 42 in a S.M. 82 aviationaoi

 

[parsifal]

Fantastic information guys. Very intersting

 

[Marcogrifo]

Other two well known images:

Cheers

 

[vikingBerserker]

Excellent find fellas!

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

Wheels

 

[robertlundin]

Amazing material, many thanks!

Robert Lundin

 

[verner]

Another. Cheers

 

[parsifal]

Does anyone know how many aircraft and tanks were shiiped to Abysinnia this way.

And a second question, what was the route taken to get there, were there any stops for the transports, if so, where?

 

[Graham Boak]

51 fighters, via Benghazi. I don't know if any tanks were so shipped, I suspect not.

The photos show that the underside of the fuselage is cutaway. Is this a correct interpretation? I've seen it said that the bombbay doors were modified, so I suppose that is what is meant.

I am also interested in the markings carried by these two aircraft: which squadriglia, which numbers?

 

[parsifal]

Thanks graham....so they flew directly from Benghazi, or were there intermediate stops?

If they flew directly, that very impressive.....rivals the C-47 in capability

 

[Vincenzo]

Thanks graham....so they flew directly from Benghazi, or were there intermediate stops?

If they flew directly, that very impressive.....rivals the C-47 in capability

the S.M. 82 maybe a old style design but sure it's a larger and more capability plane of C-47

 

[Graham Boak]

My understanding is that it was direct. There does not seem to be any intermediate stop possible. There is mention of additional fuel tanks in other S.82s on this route, but it is not clear to me where they were mounted, or if they were carried by the TC variant.