Savoia-Marchetti p.72

Savoia-Marchetti p.72
Type:	bomber
Design country:	Italy
Manufacturer:	SIAI Savoia
First flight:	1932
Number of pieces:	7th

The Savoia Marchetti S.72 (also SIAI S.72 ) was a three-engine shoulder- wing aircraft that was developed as a bomber and transport aircraft from 1930. The Italian Air Force then opted for the SM.82 .

history

In 1930 the Italian Air Force commissioned SIAI to build a heavy bomber. The S.72 designed by Alessandro Marchetti was built as a prototype and then exported, Italy preferred the SM.82.

Marchetti designed the S.72 as a bomber that should also perform transport tasks. However, the machine could not convince as a heavy bomber for the Regia Aeronautica because of the insufficient bomb load. The prototype, completed and tested in 1932, had three Alfa Romeo Pegasus II engines with 550 hp each. The weapon bay could hold up to 1000 kg bombs or be converted into a passenger cabin for 20 passengers. The S.72 set two new world records. On May 12, 1933, the pilots di Mauro and Olivari climbed to 8438 m with a payload of 2000 kg. On June 15, 1933, the pilots Tivezna and Korompai climbed to 6272 m with a payload of 5000 kg.

During the further tests of the Regia Aeronautica it was decided to discontinue the project S.72 in favor of the SM.82 . The prototype was given away to China after deployments in Africa and covered 15,000 km without any problems on the transfer flight. When the S.72 arrived in China, it was immediately deployed and was involved in a spectacular rescue operation by General Chiang Kai Shek and his staff. Delighted with the achievements this machine made possible, Chiang Kai Shek ordered 30 (or only 20) copies as bombers for their own air force. Six of the 30 machines were brought in parts by sea to Nan Chang in China and assembled there. The S.72 were used in the fight against Japan. All 6 Chinese S.72s were destroyed in a Japanese air raid in 1937.

construction

The S.72 was a three-engined shoulder-wing aircraft with a normal payload of 1000 kg. The machine was mostly made of metal. The airframe was made of welded steel tubes and the fuselage was partially planked with sheet metal and partially covered with fabric. The tail unit was also partly covered with fabric. The wings were lined with plywood. The three 9-cylinder radial engines Alfa Romeo Pegasus II, each with 550 hp, were manufactured under license from Bristol and had a compressor to ensure maximum take-off power. The installation of a Piaggio P. IX was no longer carried out in the series. The S.72 could carry two additional tanks on the wings, which could be dropped during the flight. The Chinese series received a four-blade propeller.

The armament consisted of three machine guns , a machine gun right and left and a machine gun in the lower rear. The S.72 could be equipped with two 20 mm bow cannons. The weapon bay held 1000 kg of bombs and could easily be converted into a passenger cabin for 20 people.

Technical specifications

Parameter	Data
crew	6-7
length	19.95 m
span	29.68 m
height	5.50 m
Wing area	118.5 m²
Empty mass	6800 kg
Takeoff mass	12,800 kg
Drives	3 × DD Alfa Romeo Pegasus II with 550 PS (approx. 400 kW)
Cruising speed	235 km / h
Top speed	295 km / h
Range	2000 km
Service ceiling	8000 m
Armament	Up to six 7.7 mm machine guns 1000 kg bombs 2 × 20 mm cannons in the bow possible

literature

• Savoia-Marchetti p.72 (planes from A – Z) . In: AERO - the illustrated collective work of aviation, 1986, issue 139, p. 3888

Web links

Commons : Savoia-Marchetti p.72  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• P.72 Documentation with pictures (Italian)
• P.72 Documentation with pictures (Russian)

Individual evidence

1. ^ John Stroud: Savoia Marchetti p.71, p.72 and p.74 (Wings of Peace) . In: Airplane Monthly October 1986, p. 555