AIR487 - Airfix 1/72 Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 - WWHP111749

AIR487 - Airfix 1/72 Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 - WWHP111749

Preowned, Resealed, Mint inside, Box worn

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero ("Sparrowhawk") was a three-engine Italian medium bomber that first flew on 28 September 1934, beginning life as a fast passenger transport and record-breaker before the Regia Aeronautica adapted it for war. Its distinctive dorsal hump gave it an ungainly look and the affectionate crew nickname "il gobbo maledetto" (the damned hunchback), but it proved rugged and fast. It is best remembered as a torpedo bomber: flying at wave-top height against British convoys in the Mediterranean, SM.79 crews took a heavy toll on Allied shipping, particularly during the Malta convoy battles. Roughly 1,240 were built, making it the most-produced Italian bomber of the war.

Box contents:

• Injection-moulded plastic parts for the SM.79, including the three engine nacelles and the ventral gondola
• Clear parts for the canopy and gun positions
• Decal sheet for Italian torpedo-bomber markings (squadron codes 252-3 and 252-9)
• Printed assembly instructions
• Glue and paint not included; assembly required