Savoia-Marchetti S.82 “Marsupiale” of an Italian Transport Squadriglia taxiing on airstrip of Sebha’s Oasis, in the desert of Fezzan, where had landing for transport supplies of “Regina Elena” Fort’s garrison. Another S.82 standing at the parking. Note the wind sleeve well strained sign of strong cross wind. Victor Sierra

Transport plane in Fezzan

A right fisk of wine after a right mission

On an unidentified Italian airfield, late 1942 or early 1943, two of the Italian classic transport aircrafts (the other was the Fiat G.12) of the WW2, both Savoia-Marchetti: on the left the SM.75 and, on the right, the SM.82 “Marsupiale” (or S.82, both name are correct) during an engine maintenance. Both the plane has the finish, in the photo immaculate, of the second half of the war: upper surfaces all opaque dark green, bottom surfaces pale grey-blue. Interesting the SM.75: the plane is in effect a SM.75bis, the true military version of this three-engine developed from the civil passenger transport aircraft SM.75 with 860-hp Alfa Romeo A.R. 128 RC18 radial engines, little fuselage windows, cantilever horizontal plan and squared vertical plan, produced from November 1942. The first seven airplanes was built by Savoia-Marchetti at Sesto Calende followed by an order for other 30 (SM.75bis II Serie) to Savoia Marchetti Aeronautica Marchigiana, a Savoia-Marchetti’s branch based at Jesi, Marche, but only 17 of them was delivered before the Italian Armistice of September 1943. Only two SM.75 survived to the war and was employed by the Italian Air Force until 1949/1950 when was phased out and scrapped. Instead the life of the “Marsupiale”, entered in service on 1938, was much more long-lasting: the last SM.82s, re-engined with P&W Twin Wasp (SM.82PW) was in effect phased out only on 1960. One of them, in very good conditions, is today in the Vigna di Valle’s Air Force Museum. Victor Sierra