Savoia-Marchetti S.56

Savoia-Marchetti · Italy · first flew 1924 · light aircraft

The Savoia-Marchetti S.56 was an Italian single-engine biplane flying boat trainer and tourer built by Savoia-Marchetti.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.8 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Single-engine biplane flying boat with an upper wing longer than the lower
Wooden construction with side-by-side instructor and student cockpits and a third cockpit just behind
S.56A amphibian version had manually retractable landing gear

Look for a small biplane flying boat with unequal-span wings, the upper longer than the lower. The amphibian version can be told by its retractable wheels.

Specifications

The Savoia-Marchetti S.56 has a length of 7.8 m (26 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.72 m (35 ft).
Its maximum speed is 178 km/h (111 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The original aircraft used a 70 hp Anzani engine. The S.56A had a slightly longer span and an 80 hp Anzani, and was turned into an amphibian by the addition of manually retractable landing gear.

Variants

The S.56B of 1930 had a 125 hp Kinner B-5 and an enclosed cockpit. The S.56C was a single-seater with extra fuel tanks, and in 1931 the Budd Company built an all-metal version as the Budd BB-1 Pioneer.

Where you'll see it

Private owners and flying clubs bought at least 12 S.56As, and the Regia Aeronautica operated four. American Aeronautical Corporation began licence production in 1929, and the New York City Police Department operated six of its aircraft.

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