Savoia SM 55 in WWII

[JWM]

Hi,

Savoia Sm 55 is a beautiful flying boat fameous by whole squadron flight from Italy to Southern America in 1933 under command of Marshall Italo Balbo. Wikpedia says that on this type:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoia-Marchetti_S.55

There is a photo decribed as Romanian SM 55, shot from ca 1943:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoia-Marchetti_S.55#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_N_1603_Bild-243,_Italienisches_Wasserflugzeug.jpg

In this figure Savoia is not camouflaged, very unexpected for 1943 in Eastren front circumstances. No trace of yellow identification markings as well. { EDIT frpm 4.11.2022: - Yellow is the belt going through float right to the front from the wing leading edge, It is here a bit like brown, but on I have realized now that this is yellow belt, so indeed the photo is from WW2 period!}  So it makes me very suspicious or doubtfull about the year - "1943". Are there more photos of Romanian one? 

In this article in Wiki it is also said, that machine was retaired in 1945. I expect, that it is about the Italy. So it looks that it could even wear General Bagdolio's modern  roundles perhaps! Does anybody know what was the second use of this type during WWII in Italy? It is said that it was phased out from first line in 1936-37 . Was it then use for transport or in schools? Are there any photos available? I was seriously digging in net searching for some more info about this machine from WWII time, but not sucessfull. However by this occasion I found some interesting photos and painting scheme for sole SM 55 used in SCW at Balear Archipelago. 

But the WWII Italian scheme would be the most interesting for model - at least for me. The camouflaged Romanian would be also OK

Cheers

J-W

 

Edited February 12 by JWM
Important comment

[ClaudioN]

I do not have my S.55 references at hand right now, but I cannot recall any uses by the Regia Aeronautica during WW II.

I agree the 'Romanian' picture is slightly suspect. Only visible markings are the Savoia-Marchetti 'flag' on the tailboom and a Roman numeral 'VI' on the nose.

 

WWII camouflage for an Italian maritime type would be 'dark sea grey' (Grigio Azzurro Scuro) over 'sky grey' (Grigio Azzurro Chiaro). I'll try to find out something more.

 

Claudio

 

[JWM]

Claudio, thank you. If you can look through your files for it I will appreciate very much it. Besides WWII I am interesting if it was used in Abissynia, but it is very unlikely I think. There was no see war at all I think.

Cheers

J-W

[ClaudioN]

Looked into a couple of books. Predictably, plenty of space is given to the big formation flights, whereas peacetime military use is neglected.

Italian military S.55s were operated throughout the Mediterranean, some of them from Rhodes with the Stormo Misto Egeo (Aegean Composite Wing), where they were replaced by the Cant. Z. 501. The aircraft was finally withdrawn from service in 1938, the last Regia Aeronautica units with the S.55 being 31° and 35° Stormo Bombardamento Marittimo (Maritime Bomber Wing). Its replacement in these two units was the Cant. Z. 506 three-engined floatplane bomber.

In the few pictures I've seen, Italian S.55s appear to be painted aluminium overall, no trace of camouflage. A few had the characteristic red wing stripes employed by the Regia Aeronautica to make aircraft more conspicuous.

Seemingly, three S.55X were flown during the Spanish civil war, carrying no markings at all.

 

Romanian S.55's were identified by Roman numerals, which suggests that your picture of 'VI' shows indeed of a Romanian aircraft. My (very trivial) explanation for the late date in the caption is that digits may have been transposed in the record, actual year being 1934. Romanian aircraft carried the blue-yellow-red tricolour painted on the rudders, but possibly no roundels. I do not know how long they served, maybe these ones were eventually camouflaged?

 

During the war with Ethiopia 141^ Squadriglia Ricognizione Marittima (Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron/Flight) was shipped to Abyssinia (Zula) where it operated between May 1936 and May 1938 with 9 (uncamouflaged) Cant. Z. 501, 4 CMASA MF4 and 3 Fiat CR 20. This was the only seaplane unit there.

 

HTH

Claudio

 

[JWM]

Many thanks Claudio for such extensive research. So it looks that in RA when they were withdrawn from first line they went directly  to scrapyard. That is pitty....  

In case of Romanian one I also suspected this kind of error. I still have hope that somewhere there is more data on Romanian SM 55 from WWII. There was 7 of them and they were all lost during war, the last one in 1943. That is what I found so far. 

The Spanish machines - on photos they  have (thanls for confirming that they were 3 not sole) only black strips on bottom.  The rest is overall aluminum. It is very likely, that it will be my choice for Delta kit.

BTW - Here is interesting article, likely you know it...

http://planetoplano.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-savoias-of-balearic-islands.html

Best regards

J-W

[Vinnie]

What a magnificent looking machine. I wasn't aware of it, so thank you for the post.

[TonyTiger66]

That's a wonderful article that you provided the link to J-W, many thanks  .

 

I too have the Delta 2 kit. Also an RCR photo-etch set and the Falcon canopy.

 

I must admit one of the things that has prevented me from building it all these years has been my concerns over a colour scheme for it. I think there are different turret variations too?

 

In SCW, do you think it would have had the black circles on the wing tops, or just entirely aluminium colour? The latter would make life easy.

 

If you were thinking of building it, it would be a superb and very unique subject for the forthcoming floatplanes and seaplanes group build  .

 

All best regards

TonyT

[Graham Boak]

I have one that was intended to become a Romanian example.  I did obtain some engines from Aeroclub which should suffice instead of the cowled kit examples,  but I found the plastic to be very hard and difficult to work.  The model was placed back on the shelf where it remains.

[ClaudioN]

10 hours ago, JWM said:

BTW - Here is interesting article, likely you know it...

http://planetoplano.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-savoias-of-balearic-islands.html

Best regards

J-W

Thank you very much for the link, I didn't know about the article, but I have to say I'm not that much into the Spanish Civil War.

 

If you are interested in the Ethiopian War, THE reference I would suggest is an Italian book:

"Guerra Aerea sull'Etiopia 1935-1939" by Roberto Gentilli, Edizioni Aeronautiche Italiane (EDAI), 1992 (224 pages).

Very highly recommended... that is, if you can read Italian and if you can still find a copy.

 

Best regards

 

Claudio

[ClaudioN]

53 minutes ago, TonyTiger66 said:

I too have the Delta 2 kit. Also an RCR photo-etch set and the Falcon canopy.

 

I must admit one of the things that has prevented me front m building it all these years has been my concerns over a colour scheme for it. I think there are different turret variations too?

IIRC, the S.55X was the final development of the S.55 line. There were subtle differences between subversions and, I'm afraid, this went as far as the shape of the two float/boats (commonly called "scarponi", literally "boots") and their spacing, i.e., the centre section width.

The S.55X finish is elegant and comparatively colourful. If you wish to model a military version there may be more work waiting for you.

[JWM]

7 minutes ago, ClaudioN said:

the S.55X was the final development of the S.55 line. There were subtle differences between subversions and, I'm afraid, this went as far as the shape of the two float/boats (commonly called "scarponi", literally "boots") and their spacing, i.e., the centre section width.

The S.55X finish is elegant and comparatively colourful. If you wish to model a military version there may be more work waiting for you.

Indeed, I noticed it already. But I have drawings for S55X, taken from net, so it is doable.

 

1 hour ago, TonyTiger66 said:

n SCW, do you think it would have had the black circles on the wing tops, or just entirely aluminium colour? The latter would make life easy.

 

Tony - I can PM you materials which I have for SM 55 collected already from NET. I've heared that this kit is not a piece of cake. So I have to have some fast builds before it...

1 hour ago, Graham Boak said:

I have one that was intended to become a Romanian example.  I did obtain some engines from Aeroclub which should suffice instead of the cowled kit examples,  but I found the plastic to be very hard and difficult to work.  The model was placed back on the shelf where it remains.

I think Romania had SM 55A. I think the kit is "said to be" SM 55X. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/134444-delta-delta-2-1002-savoia-marchetti-s-55x  So the conversion to version A looks perhaps more ambitious that doing version X. Anyway - a lot of shaping is needed for sure.

I bought this model some year ago on Polish version of E-bay. I have not started yet...But I was gathering data already before I've got it (BTW - for about 90 USD)

 

Cheers

J-W

 

[ClaudioN]

If you haven't already found it, the CMPR modellers' club in Ravenna, Italy, has some interesting stuff available on their web page:

• S.55A
• S.55M
• S.55X

Enjoy

 

Claudio

 

[JWM]

Claudio - thank you, I never been on those web sites before. Very interesting!

Cheers

J-W

 

[JWM]

Here is what I have found in Net about Spanish SM 55 (I hope that since i copied it from public domain it is OK to post it here):

I think that it enough to do the model of SCW SM 55X

 

Have a happy modelling

Cheers

J-W

 

EDIT - More here 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2022 by JWM
Added link to build thread