SIAI-Marchetti SM.93

SIAI-Marchetti · Italy · first flew 1944 · bomber

The SM.93 was an Italian single-engine ground-attack prototype featuring a prone pilot position intended to improve g-tolerance during diving attacks. It was one of the few aircraft of WWII designed specifically for a prone pilot layout.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	11 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Prone-pilot attack aircraft with glazed nose fairing
Single inverted V-12 DB 605A in the nose, low tapered wing
Italian WWII dive-bomber/ground-attack prototype

Distinguished by its long greenhouse-style canopy, with the pilot lying prone above the rear of the DB 605A V-12 engine, and a low wing whose inner panels taper sharply and outer panels moderately to rounded tips.

Specifications

The SIAI-Marchetti SM.93 has a length of 11 m (36 ft).
It has a wingspan of 13.9 m (46 ft).
Its maximum speed is 579 km/h (360 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

Developed by SIAI-Marchetti in the closing stages of World War II, the SM.93 flew in 1944 but never entered production as Italy's war effort collapsed. The prone pilot concept was explored to allow pilots to endure higher g-forces during steep attack dives. Only one prototype was completed.

Variants

A single prototype was built; no production variants were developed before the end of hostilities.

Where you'll see it

The SM.93 saw no operational service, existing solely as a prototype that flew briefly in 1944.

Related aircraft

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