First flown during
1939, the Savoia-Marchetti S.M.82 Canguru (kangaroo) was developed from
the earlier S.M.75 Marsupiale (marsupial) civil transport, of which a
number were impressed into service with the Regia Aeronautica in June
1940. A militarised version designated S.M.75bis was also built for the
air force. The S.M.82 prototype was basically an enlarged version of
its predecessor with a fuselage that was both longer and deeper, in
configuration a cantilever mid-wing monoplane with retractable
tailwheel landing gear and the three engine powerplant that was a
feature of the Savoia-Marchetti bomber/transport designs of this era.
Despite being
underpowered, the S.M.82 cargo/troop transport saw wide scale use with
the Regia Aeronautica, and several were used in similar roles by the
Luftwaffe. Specially equipped for the cargo role, it even included
handling gear to simplify the loading and unloading of items such as
aero engines, and its cabin volume enabled it to transport a dismantled
Fiat CR.42 biplane without difficulty.
In the troop transport
role it had folding seats to provide standard accommodation for 40 and
their equipment, but many more than this number were carried in
emergency. About 400 were built, the first of them entering service in
1941, but although able to operate as a bomber with a maximum bomb load
of up to 8,818 Ibs (4000 kg), the S.M.82 saw very limited use in this
role. Following the armistice between Italy and the Allies the type
continued to operate in the transport role, about 50 with the
Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana and 30 with the Aeronautica
Cobelligerante del Sud. Post-war some 30 continued in service with the
Aeronautica Militare Italiana, many remaining in use until the early
1960s.
(Savoia-Marchetti
S.M.82 Canguru "Kangaroo")
Type: Heavy
Transport & Bomber
Design: Societa
Italiana Aeroplani Idrovolanti (Savoia-Marchetti) Design Team
Manufacturer:
Societa Italiana Aeroplani Idrovolanti (Savoia-Marchetti) with
factories in Sesto Calende and Borgomanero
Powerplant:
Three 950 hp (708 kW) Alfa Romeo 128 RC.21 9-cylinder radial engines.
Performance:
Maximum speed 230 mph (370 km/h); cruising speed 186 mph (300 km/h);
service ceiling 19,685 ft (6000 m).
Range: 1,864
miles (3000 km) on internal fuel.
Weight: Empty
23,259 lbs (10550 kg) with a maximum take-off weight of 39,727 lbs
(18020 kg).
Dimensions: Span
97 ft 4 1/2 in (29.68 m); length 75 ft 1 1/2 in (22.90 m); height 19 ft
8 1/4 in (6.00 m); wing area 1,276.64 sq ft (118.60 sq m).
Armament: One
12.7 mm (0.50 in) Breda-SAFAT machine-gun and four 7.7 mm (0.303 in)
machine-guns, plus up to 8,818 lbs (4000 kg) of bombs.
Variants: None.
Equipment/Avionics:
Standard communication and navigation equipment.
History: First
flight 1939; (first delivery) 1941; withdrawn from service early 1960s.
Operators:
Italian Regia Aeronautica, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana and
Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud, Germany (Luftwaffe). |