Savoia-Marchetti SM.78

SIAI-Marchetti · Italy · first flew 1932 · reconnaissance aircraft

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.78 was an Italian bomber and reconnaissance biplane flying boat of the early 1930s. It was designed for maritime reconnaissance and bombing.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Long, slim aft fuselage with a tall fin and centrally mounted tailplane
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single-bay biplane flying boat with twin stabilising floats at mid-wing
Single engine on a steel structure between the wings, driving a pusher propeller
Long, slim aft fuselage with a tall fin and centrally mounted tailplane

It is a single-bay biplane with a hull that has two steps. The single Isotta Fraschini Asso 750 engine sits between the wings, and the nose and dorsal positions each carried a 7.7 mm Lewis gun.

Specifications

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.78 has a length of 12.26 m (40 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16.66 m (55 ft).
Its maximum speed is 245 km/h (152 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

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

History

It was developed from the SM.62bis, keeping practically the same wings, tail and fuselage but with a different type of Handley Page flap. The prototype first flew at the end of 1932.

Variants

The prototype had an enclosed cockpit for the two pilots, which was replaced by an open cockpit on the production model.

Where you'll see it

Forty-nine were completed, 32 by Piaggio and 17 by SIAI. It equipped four squadriglie of the Regia Aeronautica until 1938, when the CANT Z.501 replaced it, and some later served in air-sea rescue.

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