Savoia factory pipe line: Now SM 74 (Broplan) going on and SM 75 (Broplan) started.

[JWM]

Hi,

On my shelves I have now S 55X (SCW scheme) by Delta 2 (with some modifications), Airfix SM 79 and SM 79 JRS (scratch conversion) as well as SM 81 by Supermodel from SCW. 

Here they are:

However  I have  also nine kits of Savoia machines in my stash:

1.  S 55A (Dora Wings) - to be a Romanian one

2. Another S 55 A intended to be a donor in a scratch conversion to Savoia S 66 

3. SM 74 by Broplan

4. SM 75 by Broplan

5. SM 79 JRS by Frrom intended to do a Iraqi radial bimotor

6. SM 81 Italeri intended to convert to SM 73

7. SM 82 Italeri intended to do OOB

8. SM 84 by Aviation USK 

9. SM 95 by Broplan

 

I am going to build all of them, I hope in a two years horizon, maybe longer because I will do some other kits meanwhile... 

 

 

Some time ago I started three of Savoias. 

No 1 - S 55A to be done as Romanian WW 2 machine

No 2 - S 66 to be converted from another S 55 A 

No 6 - SM 73 from SM 81

 

Lest start from the last one. 

The main work is about the fuselage, since the SM 73 and SM 81 are like Super Electra L 14 and Hudson: passenger and bomber developed out of it. 

So I blinded all turrets and gondola, and sides of fuselage replaced by a sheets of clear plastic with windows were just masked. I was not doing extend photo documentation so far, so I will skip to more advanced  view:

 

Lets forget this one for moment...

 

The Romanian S 55 A.  I am not sure if it is not a S 55 M, since the floats required some corrections. Anyway, It is here on a plan of S 66, just to compare sizes. 

 

The difference with floats is that Dora kit has two rised lines going around float and the original Romanian machine has only lower of them but three other reinforcing elements could be observed on sides. 

This lines are well seen here (photo shown only for discussion purposes):

 

 

But the most interesting is I think S 66, as a rather massive scratch work will be done...

 

The Original S 66 uses basic frame of S 55. The booms looks to be the same as, also the central part of wing has the same size and the distances between symmetry lines of foats are the same. The floats have very similar length, I am not sure if the difference come from inaccuracies of drawing or they should be different in length. In scale it is 3 mm.  But the floats are certainly different: the cross section of all military variants of S 55 are a keystone, whereas the passenger S 55 is rectangular below wings - that is clear - to maximaze the space of compartments for passengers. Also the hull is different but dimensions are similar. The section of hull in S 55 is concave, in S66 is typical triangular. 

 

The main difference is in wings: the S 55 has wings of size of lets say Whitley (wingspan 24 m) , wheras in S 66 it is a Liberator scale (33 m)

Technical data of S 55 (wiki) 

Crew 5-6

Length: 16.5 m (54 ft 2 in)

Wingspan: 24 m (78 ft 9 in)

Height: 5 m (16 ft 5 in)

Wing area: 92 m2 (990 sq ft)

Empty weight: 5,750 kg (12,677 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 8,260 kg (18,210 lb)

 

Powerplant (Romanian variant): 2 × Fiat A.24R V12 engines, 559 kW (750 hp) each

 

Technical data of S 66 (Wiki)

Crew 2

Capacity: 18/22 passengers (nine to eleven in each hull)

Length: 16.63 m (54 ft 7 in)

Wingspan: 33 m (108 ft 3 in)

Height: 4.90 m (16 ft 1 in)

Wing area: 126.70 m2 (1,363.8 sq ft)

Empty weight: 7,450 kg (16,424 lb)

Gross weight: 10,950 kg (24,141 lb)

Powerplant: 3 × Fiat A.24R V12 engines, 559 kW (750 hp) each

 

The difference in length (13 cm) comes from larger chord of elevators, this confirms hypo that floats have the same length. 

The mains task is to do new wings.

I did it using wings of S 55 and adding extentions.

I started with cutting each of 4 external parts along span. 

I cut out of 0.25 mm plastic sheet 4 parts of outer parts of wings having new desired dimensions

I cut out 6 different ribs.

I glued elements of S 55 wings on this thin plastic sheets, reinforced them from bottom side with ribs and two spars

Then I was cutting the elements out of the 0.25 mm sheet and gluing them making the wing thicker. Each place got 3 such additional sheets, and the thickness of this surfaces became comparable with thickness of original wing parts. 

Then I started to use filler. 

Here you can see the drawing, the first approximation f new wing and for cmparison the S 55 wing. 

Then I use a resin filler (to avoid shrinking of normal putty,  which will change the geometry with long time . 

After first sanding it looked like that 

 

Please note that the leading edge of course has different slope, so in central part of wing it is on sided covered with some putty as well...

 

I started also to construct wider floats

 

Again I am using here clear plastic sheets to sides, where large windows will be  present.

 

I have forgotten to add - some less then ten Savoia S 66 were in use by Regia Aeronautica as a rescue machine in 1940, during French campaign...  

This was 613 RA Squadron

 

To be continued...

Regards

 J-W

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 23 by JWM
Upgrade of what is going on

[JOCKNEY]

Fantastic project Jerzy

I hope you don't mind if I bag a front row seat 

Cheers Pat 

[AdrianMF]

Very ambitious! Looking forward to it!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[JWM]

Thank you!   

I am looking on the proper colors for SM 73 in a typical brown/green mottle over light brown. The bottom is Ivory white, so rather unusual. Any suggestion for Humbrol for Giallo mimetico 3, Verde Mimmetico and Terra?

[JWM]

Hi,

Lets  go for moment to Savoia SM 73. They were using six different engines, since originally it was a passenger the companies preferred that or another engines. I am going to build this machine:

It is with Bristol (Italy licenced) Pegasus engines and Hamilton props. I have use one of cowlings provided in Italeri kit but I modified their shape. I wrap around two (wider (8 mm) and more narrow (2 mm) belts  of 0.25 mm plastic sheets and add some filler, then sanded to a bit bulged shape (barrel- like) . I uses also a modified props from Wellington Mk I by MPM which were as spare in Mk IV kit.

So it looks like here:

or here

 

Nothing happened today with S 55. (By the way - those flying boats are sometimes called SM 55 or SM 66 for "Savoia-Marchetti" but in other sources only S. 55 or S 66 for "Savoia" alone. I know that Italian companies put the name of the main constructor into given type, but I am not 100% sure which is proper in that case...)

With S 66 :

 

Current view on wings (I cut out the ailerons and made another approach of using filler and sanding paper)  

 

In the background there are two drawings, I am not sure which is more accurate. Comparing with photos some details are better replicated in one and some other in the another. For example the lighter one show the middle engine shifted a bit forward, the dark show them all in line and photos show it moved forward. But the floats are on this light drawing a bit too wide. Anyway, I am using both and comparing with photos. But the photos reveals also some differences between individual machines, some show four portholes on front of float and on some other there are five of them...

I started to construct enlarged stabilizer (tailplane). I prepared it following the shapes on dark drawing, but now I think I have to correct it a bit in directions of light drawings...

 

The floats. I drilled the holes on nose sections- they are just to connect better the Milliput with plastic. 

 

And with Milliput

 

The booms of S 66 look like in a middle of the way between S 55A and S 55X in their rear part. I put some Milliput there as well to do the fairing but there is no fairing of the joint between stabilizer and boom on contrary to S 55X, where it is present...

 

To be continued

Regards

 J-W

 

 

[JWM]

Hi,

I found in my camera (what I already forgotten) that I heve photos from the very beginning of the work on Savoia S 66, it was on 7th January 2024.

 

 

Here is cut of wings

 

And those thin sheets as a base of extension, glued with pieces of wings of Savoia S 55

 

This was not a perfect way - now I have problems, when sanding sometimes the problems with surface appears. I have to fight with it now...

I was going on with floats. To make proper shape of hull I glued on the middle of each float a piece of Tamiya sprue (2x2 mm squar), but it was glued on its edge, not flat side. Then I glued two more pieces on its sided to stabilize it. 

 

Prior to it I trim the clear side to proper height  making room for gluing wing in future

 

 

I put a lot of Milliput on bottom it will be sanded till the depth of the Tamiya sprue.

 

A small difference in profile behind the step I will get by padding some Humbrol putty and the  sanding ,

 

The S 55 is now getting shapes

 

I do not like PE metal parts, especially on outsides therefore I used here self made plastic parts - the rod which connect all three fins, the plates on the end of booms and the strut in a central fin.

I noticed, that riging of booms frame was a bit changing with evolution of S 55 variants, and photos shows that there are doubled cables and in early they were single...

,   

 

 

The SM 73 on yesterday photos has engines put on without glue, so do not worry if you see some need of further sanding. 

Anyway I started to paint  yellow, then I will put the exhaust pipes...

 

 

Please note, that I am not using a nice cylinders engines provided by Italeri, since they looks more like a Wright Cyclone, with double camshaft rods in front of each cylinder not with single like in Bristol Pegasus. Instead I used resin copies of Italeri Bristols from Sunderland,. The forms I prepared when I was constructing my Short Empire (from Airfix Sunderland, perhaps some might rememer with Andrian MF vacu fuselage...)

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

[JWM]

Hi

After using CA glue to solve surface problem after another cycle of putyy and sandings I applied Humbrol 125 (thin layer) to see if the surface of top side of wing is OK?

 

 

I think it is OK now   I have still some minor problems on a bottom side but hope to sort them very soon.

 

I sanded coarse excess of Milliput from floats mask all windows with Tamiya yellow tape and cover all surfaces of floats with Tamiya putty. Then I will go to sand it and to build the upper nose sides of floats, which are more difficult then other places...

 

I made also a rear parts of booms. I paited them also with Hu 125, just to see how the surface looks like.

 

The machine will be in Grigio Scuro on top and Ivory bottom.  I hope this is a correct interpretation of scheme from w book on transport machine, former passengers,  imposed to Italian army in WW2...

I am not sure if Humbrol 125 is not a bit too dark...?

 

Regards

J-W

[JWM]

Hi,

After serious sanding, repeated small amouts of putty and again sanding the floats get more or less good shapes

I started to construct the upper nose part of floats

 

The Tamiya tape stripes mark how deep the wing will come. Most likely I will cut the white elements to make better fit between floats and wing.

 

First trial how it come together

 

Promising, I hope... 

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

Hi @CarLos - I am glad that you like it! I need your help. I am sure you are familiar with book  "Italy Dimensione Cielo 8 - trasporto" . There is a BW profile of SM 66 in camo from 613 s. RA and two photos of military SM 66 - one is that which is depicted also in profile but the other one is a overall white with red crosses. My Italian is non existing so I am not sure what time it was painted in the last livery - overall white with red crosses and Italian national colors? Because the camo scheme is described as June 1940, so overall white was prior it or after (or in the same time but another machine?)

Regards

J-W

 

Edited February 28, 2024 by JWM

[CarLos]

12 hours ago, JWM said:

Hi @CarLos - I am glad that you like it! I need your help. I am sure you are familiar with book  "Italy Dimensione Cielo 8 - trasporto" . There is a BW profile of SM 66 in camo from 613 s. RA and two photos of military SM 66 - one is that which is depicted also in profile but the other one is a overall white with red crosses. My Italian is non existing so I am not sure what time it was painted in the last livery - overall white with red crosses and Italian national colors? Because the camo scheme is described as June 1940, so overall white was prior it or after (or in the same time but another machine?)

Regards

J-W

 

Hi J-W, it was some time ago when we exchanged some messages on the subject! Then I lost my modelling hard disk and... guess what? My latest backup dated from seven years before! So I spent some time trying to recover what I could, mainly photos of my ongoing builds. Unfortunately many have gone west. Sorry for my silence since then and I'm glad you proceeded with your build, and certainly will follow it with great interest.

Regarding your question - my Portuguese is certainly better than my Italian, but from what I could read:

By 8 June 1940 five SM. 66 (that were by then out of service in Ala Littoria) were requisitioned by Regia Aeronautica and the 613.a squadrigliglia was formed with voluntaries ex-Ala Littoria; They performed some recognizing and rescuing missions (one was even attacked by a CR. 42! How could an SM. 66 be confused by an enemy plane???) and finally by 10 September 1940 S. 613 was transformed into a sanitarian squadron.

 

I haven't read it all yet, and may be some more may be of your interest -  but it must be later. Not putting me out of it, but certainly @Giorgio N or any other Italian member may help you more...

Cheers

 

Carlos

[JWM]

2 hours ago, CarLos said:

finally by 10 September 1940 S. 613 was transformed into a sanitarian squadron.

Many thanks! I am very sorry abuot the lost of archive. This recalls me, that last backup I did lmost two years ago.... Brrrr, sh... happens.   

The earlier part of the text about the 613 squadron and volunteers (pilots and technicians) is similar to what I was trying to guess more or less, but I was completely not sure about meaning of the latest. Now I understand, s that after joining the RA they wear the dark top (I assume Grigio Skura, all say it is Humbrol 125 - which is pretty dark and those grey naval machines (Cant 506, Fiat RS 14...) do not look that dark. I guess that  Ivory Whiato was on most of bottom sides of machine with dark green parts of floats below the waterline . And them, since September , Savoias S66 served as ambulances, So the were painted overall white (not Ivory) and have green,white,red belts on fins, alount wings and red crosses in red circles likely in six position. There is one photo in this book showing where the red cross was on fuselage. However I am going to do CANT 506 C  in such livery (i hope it will turn out similar to that one:  https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQV1U-91LsxEe1Q__viTKGDuQK1hGOoQ-pFxw&usqp=CAU) 

So I have to think twice which livery Savoia 66 will be more attractive... 

BTW - is there anythink particular what you had in your archive and you cannot find it agian? There is a shadow of a chance, that I can have it...

Again, many thanks!

J-W

 

[CarLos]

Hi J-W, always willing to help. I probably won't have time today but I'll read the remain of the text carefully and take some notes.

Your CANT 506 will look nice, but mine will be I-DOTE and will look even nicer, in that ivory and red civilian livery! You must try a civilian one...

 

Carlos

[Giorgio N]

I have the Dimensione Cielo volume and can translate if needed.

In summary, the 613 Squadriglia was established in Rome in June 1940 and a few days later the aircraft flew to Sardinia divided in two sections, one in Elmas (still today the airport of the city of Cagliari) and Olbia. The section in Olbia became independent in July and flew to Puglia the following month but the aircraft were soon back with 613 in Elmas.

As Carlos wrote, some aircraft were converted for ambulance use in September 1940. At January 1st 1941 there were 5 aircraft, one with red cross markings, 1 in civilian markings and 3 in military markings. It's likely that the picture was taken around that time.

The unit continued to serve with the S.66 wil the end of July 1943 but no mention is made of the schemes carried, All pictures in the book seem to have been taken in the early days of the unit

[Vesa Jussila]

Interesting projects J-W. I have some interest these types, but civil versions. I will follow your factory progress. 

[JWM]

Giorgio and Carlos,

Many thanks for your translations and explanations! Now it is clear. In principle I can decide what shall or rather will  I chose:

 

1. One of 613 Squadron machine - I think it is on a Ivory with Grigio Scuro on top: 

 

Interesting , that the only one sign of national insignia are white crosses on fins! This rises my doubts why the normal insignia were not introduced? The quality of photo, especially the PDF copy I have is not enough good to say, if there is something else preent, but why I could be absent???

 

2. The second one is ambulance, there is also a poor quality (in my copy) photo which suggest overall white machine with colorful markings of ambulance, what I tried to prepare by fast drawing here:

 

Which to chose? 

I have only one set of Italian red crosses in circles from Italeri Cant Z 506, so I can think on preparing either Z506 C (ex-passenger, Broplan conversion) in such livery, or this Savoia....

 

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

Hi,

I have found in my computer today two photos from a start of SM 73. I was considered them lost by accidental delete, but not, they survived... It is visible how large area of fuselage walls I cut out and replaced by a clear sheet of plastic

 

Going back to Sm 66:

 

Those are more or less the photos of 613-3 during start:

 

Not too much seen here, there must be this photo in better quality...But I think I can see at least the presence of a Savoia factoy marking on booms...

The ambulance from Sept. 1940

 

Comparing to my drawing from last post I see here also a factory markings: white cross on blue with name of machine on a booms somethin vertical on the nose. Is it 1 (or II?) or a "fasca" like here:

 

Please note only 3 portholes on nose, not 5 as usually (I've seen also 4...)

 

It will be very nice if someone has those photos in better quality and can share or just tell what he or she see there...

 

So I started to do the upper part of floats noses. 

Some supporting construction:

With putty added (this a car body repair epoxy putty - very stinky but similar in application to Milliput, but faster fixing.  I am using one small cane of it since about 15 years now... Close to end...

 

After sanding:

 

To be continued.

Regards

J-W
 

[JWM]

Hi

Small progress with SM 73. I made landing lamps, glued flaps (I have not seen any of them parking with flaps down), glued tailplan struts,  and painted with white, just to see any problem if it will be: 

 

With SM 55 a pause...

 

With SM 66

 

The proportions are more or less kept

 

I started to do the surface details. All lines I do by masking and adding some putty between masks. 

 

Here it is:

 

In the end of the day I put some green and grey to see the surfaces...

 

 

now - dome corrections....

 

To be continued...

Cheers

J-W

 

 

 

[JWM]

Hi,

I just tried how it will like in Ivory on floats of SM 66

I am not decided yet, to do overall white ambulance or grey/ivory rescue machine?,,,,

 

SM 55A:

I painted yellow elements 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress with SM 73. I have painted on top as Giallo Mimetioco 3 Humbrol 63, but my bulb together with camera make it yellow

It is not that color in nature, believe me...

The props:

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

I've got some delay due to a "side kick" - a pair of P47s... The P 47 N (Sword kit ) and P 47 D 28 (Revell kit, but with slimmed belly amd in Brasilian livery...)

The "N" is ready, maybe I will manage to do photos tomorreow for RFI,  "D" need some finish still" 

 

But now -  I am returning to Savoias. Some small progress on SM 73 (exhaust pipes, ventilation devices on fuselage top, glued engines on positions) was achieved... 

 

To be continued,,,

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

[JWM]

Hi

Sm 73 got the third coat of Humbrol 63 as Giallo Mimetico 3

 

In Sm 55 I started to construct the engines "tower"

 

and the current shape of wings of Sm 66

 

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

I did some more sanding and filling and again sanding on SM 66 wing

BTW - the color change came only from the change of camera and light - above this is daylight and my mobile's camera....

 

Below is regular camera and bulbs

please note the windows filled up. 

 

I did also some work on rigging the booms and on tailplane. I drilled up also windows on floats

 

 

 

With Sm 73 - I applied patches in Terra (brown)

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

 

[JWM]

I have some doubts regarding  the colors on SM 66.

The only one color picture (which I have found) from the times when it was flying is that one 

It is about the hulls. On above they are in deep blue. I started with dark green suggested by the color of hulls of my SM 55X from Spain, but then I started to think that it looks on photos very dark, so maybe should be black as suggested here

 

 

Black hulls were in many other Italian flying boats in RA during WW2. But the blue one in a civil machine - could it be retained despite the taking over by RA? 

Now I think I will go to black, but it may change ...

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

I faced another problem with SM 55A kit by Dora. There are two sets of plastic parts for coolers provided in the kit, but only one PE set. There are on I and L frames.

https://www.mojehobby.pl/products/Savoia-Marchetti-S.55A.html#gallery_start

In instruction the parts used are said to be I12 and I 12, to which the PE parts fits, however the frame L is the new one, purposely added for this variant and one should use those parts from L frame (with oval opening) to which there are no PE parts for a frontal part. 

This photo

shows, that oval is there (not circle) and the position of cooler is lower then if you will use parts from frame I....

But no metal part for it available..

Regards

J-W

 

 

Edited March 24, 2024 by JWM

[JWM]

Hi

 

I always do propeller able to rotate. In case of SM 55 and SM 66, where detailed engine is seen it problematic how to make prop rotating. I came to idea of using brass tube of 1.3 mm diameter and 0.8 mm diameter pin as prop shaft. 

Here you may notice those elements 

 

On a foreground you may see the cooler (left from "I" frame, right from "L"). On background you can see two engines on their position on the engine "tower" and below it there are two tube/pin elements. I drilled the opening for the tube and glue the prop shafts on positions. 

It works, prop rotates very easily, with small blow of air: 

 

Today I made also the rigging (EZ cable) 

 

The control cables are yet to be added... 

I painted also green patches (verde mimetico 3 - humbrol 120) on SM 73

 

 

To be frank - I am not happy with it. I have to do something more about it....

 

Regards

J-W
 

[AdrianMF]

The SM73 is coming along nicely.

I must admit the green does look a bit bright and a bit blue, but I am certainly no expert in WWII Italian colour schemes. I've seen Humbrol 80 Apple green in that context.

Regards,

Adrian