The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79P I-ALAN, former S.79C I-TOMO, in the livery of Ala Littoria SA Linee Atlantiche before its transfer to LATI-Linee Aree Transatlantiche Italiane. The aircraft, with cabin for four passengers, has the Italian civil national markings in used on late Thirties with civil code I+four letters on fuselage and under the wings, the I for Italy on the rudder and the Italian flag on the fin. This markings date the photo before the outbreak (September 1939) of WW2, perhaps on the first months of 1939. Victor Sierra 

The golden age of I-ALAN

Benghazi Airport, Libya, February-March 1941, Italian aircraft’s wrecks on this Libyan airport abandoned after the British conquest of Cyrenaica. In foreground a three engines transport aircraft with an unusual history. It’s in effect the I-ALAN, a special civil version of the bomber aircraft Savoia-Marchetti S.79. The plane was built like S.79C (“C” for Corsa/Race) for the race Istres-Damas-Paris, 20-21 August 1937, crew Tondi-Moscatelli, competition number I-6, civil registration I-TOMO, civilian certificate of airworthiness number 52, military code MM355, owner Ministero Aeronautica (Air Ministry). 
After the race, won by the S.79C I-CUPI (crew Cupini-Paradisi), the aircraft was converted in high speed long range passenger plane and re-registered by Italian Civil Aeronautical Register like Savoia-Marchetti SM.79P (“P” for Passeggeri/Passengers, the acronym SM was adopted on 1939), civil registration I-ALAN, certificate of airworthiness number 19052, certificate of registration (CoR) number 2346, CoR delivery 5 January 1939. The plane’s new owner was the Transatlantic Divisiob of the civil company Ala Littoria SA (Ala Littoria SA Linee Atlantiche) for transatlantic lines from Italy to Brazil. Afterwards the I-ALAN was transferred to new LATI-Linee Aeree Transatlantiche Italiane which replaced Ala Littoria on transatlantic flight. In this configuration the SM.79P was used by Attilio Biseo during the preparation flight in the attempt of obtaining the record on the Roma-Dakar-Natal-Rio de Janeiro race. After the entry the Italy on WW2 (10 June 1940) the I-ALAN was militarized and switched to Nucleo Comunicazioni LATI (LATI’s Communications Unit) for long range military transport flights in particular from Libya to Italian East Africa. Perhaps unserviceable at moment of the British advance, the I-ALAN was abandoned on Benghazi Airport together many others Italian aircraft (a Breda 65 is on the left of the picture). Victor Sierra


The story of I-ALAN

An airliner Savoia Marchetti S.73 of Avio Linee Italiane, an airline of FIAT Group, during engine maintenance’s operation perhaps at Taliedo Airport, near Milan, base of the same Avio Linee Italiane. The S.73, also employed by Ala Littoria and purchased by Belgian company Sabena and by the Czechoslovakian CSA, was developed by Alessandro Marchetti in parallel with the bomber S.81. After the Italy’s entry in WW2 all the S.73s was militarized and employed by the Regia Aeronautica like transport troops aircraft. The plane of this photo is the I-SAUL, military code MM603 (at this time the Italian Civil Aviation were a branch of Air Force under the Air Ministry), with certificate of registration (CoR) number 2000 delivery 5 March 1937. Victor Sierra