Italian and German personnel at Melsbroek airfield (Belgium), autumn 1940. On the background, a Fiat BR 20 bomber. Allies and enemies would have discovered soon the inadequacy of Italian equipment. 
Weak ability in modern and mass warfare industy, make unuseful for Regia Aeronautica holding 33 aviation records still in 1939.

Newly comrades

No one SM 79 was downed by enemy fighters during Spanish Civil War: nor Russian Chatos or Ratas, or French fighters of first 30's could reach it.
Communist pilots could not find a tactical manoeuvre to attack the SM 79s, unlike the Italian and Spanish pilots with the CR 32s against the faster Tupolev SB2 Katiuskas.

Eagles over Spain

CSIR leaving for Russia (summer 1941). In 1942 it become ARMIR, 8th Italian Army in Russia (without tanks and heavy anti-tank guns...).