Italian Forces

Savoia-Marchetti SM.87

IMC Archives

One of floatplanes Savoia-Marchetti SM.87 purchased by the Corporacion Sud-Americana de Trasportes Aereas, an Argentinian branch of Ala Littoria Italian airlines, for air lines in Argentina, but never delivered due the outbreak of the war. The aircraft, seaplane version of the landplane SM-75, was a transport civil aircraft for 24-30 passenger and flew for first time during the Summer 1939, test pilot Alessandro Passaleva, on the Sant’Anna air harbor, Sesto Calende, Lago Maggiore. On June 1940 the Italian Regia Aeronautica took over the SM.87 purchased ordering the completion of four of five aircraft purchased (the fifth exemplar as spare’s source). The first aircraft, military code MM.447, construction number NC 36001, was delivered on 15 August 1940, assigned to Special Air Services Command and switched to the Ala Littoria’s Communications Unit with the civil registration I-IGOR. The second aircraft MM448, NC36002, I-INNO, first test 6 December 1940, was delivered on 5 February 1941. The I-IGOR and the I-INNO was employed on the line from Rome’s, Ostia air harbor, to Barcelona via Alghero. Afterwards the I-IGOR and the I-INNO plus the other two planes built, I-ILLA and I-IGEA, was employed for lines from Rome to Spain, Balearic Island and from Rome to Sardinia, this lats lines for military duties. The only encounter with the enemies date to the 20 May 1943 when the I-INNO, took off from Ostia with 28 soldiers on board, during the landing at Olbia, Sardinia, was strafed and heavy damaged by a RAF’s Beaufighter which killed three soldiers. After the Italy’s Armistice (8 September 1943) the I-INNO, just repaired, was switched from Sardinia to Stagnone air harbor, Marsala, Sicily, and afterwards to Brindisi where was phased put and scrapped. The other was seized by the Germans. Victor Sierra