Savoia-Marchetti S.M.84 "tuffatore" (MM.22496).

ImportantSimone5 · August 13, 2024, 7:37pm

[Would you like to see this in-game?]

Yes
Maybe
No

0 voters

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.84 “tuffatore” (MM.22496).

History.

The Savoia-Marchetti S.M.84 was a three-engined bomber and torpedo bomber produced by the Savoia-Marchetti company in the early 1940s as a replacement for the now obsolete S.M.79 Sparviero and used by the Regia Aeronautica during the Second World War. However, the aircraft proved to be disappointing in many respects, failing to match its predecessor except for its slightly higher speed. Despite this, the aircraft was adopted in February 1941, alongside the older Fiat B.R.20 and CANT Z.1007. The main operational theater of the S.M.84 was the Mediterranean Sea, in which one of these aircraft managed to torpedo and seriously damage the English battleship HMS Nelson. However, realizing that the aircraft was woeful (despite the improvements received) compared to expectations and noting that the aircraft was not much better than a classic SM.79, SIAI-Marchetti independently decided to take an example of the aircraft and modify it for use as an improvised dive bomber. The example with military serial number MM.22496 was taken and modified with the addition of airbrakes in the sub-wing area near the engines. This specimen was affectionately called the “diver” as it was designed to dive. The aircraft made its first flight in November 1941 and completed four dive flights between April and June 1942, despite the Air Ministry’s negative opinion on three-engined dive bombers in 1941. The exact end of the plane is not known, but it was probably used after tests as an unmarked aircraft on the edges of Italian airports.

Armaments and propulsion.

The aircraft maintained the same armament as a classic S.M.84, namely four 12.7 mm Scotti/Isotta Fraschini machine guns (350 rounds per gun). One was placed in a turret above the aircraft, one was placed for ventral protection and two were placed on the sides of it. By doing so the aircraft could afford a certain defense against enemy fighters, even if it did not have a frontal defensive weapon (which was present in the previous S.79). The war load of bombs was also unchanged, i.e. up to 1,000 kg of bombs (usually 900 kg) or alternatively two torpedoes.
The aircraft maintained the classic engine of the SM.84, i.e. three 14-cylinder air-cooled radial Piaggio P.XI RC.40 engines of 1,000 hp each, which could push the aircraft up to a maximum speed of 467 km/h.

Specifications.

Spoiler

Crew: 6
Length: 17.93 m
Wingspan: 21.1 m
Height: 4.59 m
Wing area: 61 m2
Maximum weight: 13,230 kg
Engine: 3 x Piaggio P.XI R.C.40 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine (1,000 hp each)
Maximum speed: 467 km/h
Stall speed: 140 km/h
Range: 1,830 km
Service ceiling: 7,900 m
Weapons: 4 x 12,7 mm Scotti/Isotta Fraschini machine guns (350-400 rounds for gun), 2,000 kg of bombs or 2x torpedoes

Pictures.

Spoiler