Italian Forces

When the S.82 became a “Marsupial

One of the Savoia-Marchetti S.82 modified for the transport from Italy to Italian East Africa of a Fiat CR.42 fighter disassembled likely during the tests of this unusual load’s type on the Guidonia’s Experimental Test Center. Notice in front to S.82 a CR.42 with wings, tail plane and undercarriage removed for the load into the large cargo compartment (usually divided on two bridges), all parts which will loaded in the same transport aircraft together with one spar engine. Another modification, necessary for this particular long range missions, was a 1,300 L (340 US gal). This missions, first of them from Guidonia to Gura, Eritrea, via Benghazi on 23 August 1940, total 51 CR.42 and as much spare engines delivered without loss, earn to S.82 (or SM.82, both the name are correct) the nickname of “Marsupiale” (Marsupial) thereto gave by the Italian aviators. And with this name this large Italian three-engines plane was knew until the end of his long career, on 1960 (!).At this point a correction is necessary: some publications give the name “Marsupiale” or “Marsupial” to another airplane, ever Savoia-Marchetti, but completely different, the SM.75, born as civil passenger transport aircraft and only in a second time built in military version, clearly a confusion between two distinct type of planes. So using the name “Marsupiale” for the SM.75 (which never had a name) is incorrect. Another correction. Often the S.82 is indicated with the name “Canguro” (Kangaroo), also by few Italian texts (but not wrote by aeronautical experts): incorrect, this name was never used for the S.82. In conclusion: the only correct nickname of the S.82 is “Marsupiale” and only the S.82 had the nickname of “Marsupiale”. Best regards, Victor Sierra