Savoia-Marchetti SM.93
| Savoia-Marchetti SM.93 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Dive bombers |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
January 31, 1944 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 prototype |
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.93 was developed by the Italian Air Force as an experimental dive bomber and also aroused interest from German aircraft manufacturers. The project was terminated after Allied forces landed in Italy.
history
Since Italy has a very long coast and, due to the war in 1942, it was already becoming apparent that a landing operation had to be expected there, the need for a powerful dive bomber became increasingly clear. This should fight allied troops as well as possible ship formations as effectively as possible. Although Italy had ground combat aircraft, these had too little payload to cause sufficient damage to a battleship or aircraft carrier. As a result, the Italian Air Force decided to commission a new project that should fill this gap.
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.93 was designed as a pure dive fighter with retractable landing gear and as a low-wing aircraft. The lead developer Allessandro Marchetti was commissioned in 1942 to develop a dive bomber that was as inexpensive as possible using the raw materials available in Italy. As a prototype “Project: INFRARED 93”, the aircraft was built entirely from wood, as this raw material was available in large quantities. The wood was later to be replaced by a metal construction.
drive
At the beginning the problem arose with the engine, as the Italian engines were good, but only offered sufficient performance for smaller aircraft. They experimented with engines from heavy bombers, but this did not prove to be advantageous. The Alpha Romeo RA 1000 RC (Daimler-Benz DB 601 built under license) could offer enough power for fighters, but this power was not enough for dive bombers. The project became realizable with the Daimler-Benz DB 605 A with 1450 hp. The DB 605 A was a water-cooled 12-cylinder V-engine. After initial licensing problems - Italy was only allowed to manufacture the DB 601 A1 under license - the engine was delivered by Daimler-Benz in 1942. A three-bladed metal propeller from Alfa Romeo was supposed to provide propulsion.
testing
The first flight took place on January 31, 1944 at the Varese test site - at a time when Allied forces were already landing on Anzio. By the end of March 1944, 16 more test flights were undertaken under German leadership, not least because a successor to the Ju 87 was sought. For these test flights, the machine was provided with German national emblems. The machine had excellent flight behavior, especially before the bomb was dropped and also when it was intercepted later. Despite the good features of the machine, it was decided, at German insistence, to stop development because it was already too late for use. The machine was left in a completely operational condition when it withdrew from Italy.
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.93 came a little too late and could no longer be used in the war, but Italy showed that it could not only build fighters and bombers, but also dive bombers. The similar machine ( Il-20 ) developed in the USSR in 1948 used a similar design in which the pilot also sat directly above the engine.
Armament
The armament of the SM.93 should consist of a 20 mm MG 151 automatic cannon from Mauser, which fires rapidly through the propeller hub, and two 12.7 mm Breda SAFAT cannons in the wings. A rear gunner who was armed with a 12.7 mm Breda SAFAT cannon mounted on a rotating carriage was seen as absolutely necessary. In addition, the machine should be able to carry bombs; the SM.93 could carry up to 815 kg bombs under the fuselage and up to 317 kg bombs under the wings. With a full bomb load, the SM.93 was able to dive at a speed of 900 km / h.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| length | 10.93 m |
| span | 13.90 m |
| height | 3.8 m |
| Wing area | 31.10 m² |
| Elongation | 6.2 |
| Empty mass | 3552 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 5500 kg |
| drive | a Daimler-Benz DB 605 A, 1,475 PS (1,085 kW) |
| Cruising speed | 505 km / h |
| Top speed | 575 km / h at 7000 m |
| Climbing ability | 625 m / min |
| Service ceiling | 8200 m |
| Range | 1650 km |
| Armament | 1 × 20 mm through the propeller hub with 150 rounds 2 × 12.7 mm in the wings with 350 rounds 1 × 12.7 mm stern 815 kg bombs under the fuselage and 317 kg under the wings |
literature
- Unique dive bomber. In: AIR International August 1982, p. 98
- Heinz J. Nowarra: Foreign birds under the Balkenkreuz (weapons arsenal). Podzun-Pallas-Verlag GmbH, Friedberg
