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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 1701.PDF
JULY IST, 1943 heir Char act eristics; SAVOIA MARCHETTI S.M.83 ROUNDED TIPS FIN AND RUDDERVERY LOW ASPECT RATIO WINDOWS BRACED TAILPLANE DIHEDRAL UNDERSLUNC WINC ENGINES MODERATE TAPER Span Length .. Height .. Wing area DIMENSIONS 66ft. 3in. 53ft. 2in. 13ft. 6m. 646 sq.ft. VERY much smaller than the Canguru, the S.M.83was developed by Italy for the South Atlantic ser-vice betwsen Rome and Rio de Janeiro, and is one of the fastest multi-engined transport aircraft in existence, having a top speed with full load of 276 m.p.h. at 13,120ft. Eleven of these aircraft opened the South Atlantic ser- vice in December, 1939, and continued to operate it until Brazil, fully appreciating the nature of the unadvertised pro-Axis activities it facilitated, put a stop to it early last year and '' froze '' six of the eleven aircraft which hap- pened, unfortunately for Benito, to be at the Rio de Janeiro end of the link atthat moment. These six S.M.83S were later bought by the U.S. Defense Supplies Corporation, were overhauled by Pan-American-Grace Airways at Lima, and were subsequently flown to the U.S.A., where they were destined for the anti-Axis duties of army transport work. Constructional methods follow accepted Savoia Mar- chetti principles, the fuselage being a welded steel frame- work with fabric covering, and the wings of wood with plywood covering over which is laid a fabric skin. Because of their oversea duties, the wings are divided by their internal structure into a number of watertight compart- ments which would give a reasonable degree of flotation should such a quality ever be necessary, but, thanks to the reliability of the 750 h.p. Alfa-Romeo engines, during the two years they operated over the South Atlantic this virtue was never put to the test so far as is known. In all, 211 successful ocean crossings were made, involving a total distance of 1,600,000 miles. Altogether 424 pas- sengers, 129 tons of freight, and some 70 tons of mail were carried between Rome and Rio de Janeiro. Unlike the big Canguru, the S.M.83 has a typically Savoia Marchetti tail unit, its fin and rudder being of very low aspect ratio, with a curved leading-edge and a straight vertical trailing-edge, and the tailplane almost semicircular with a straight trailing-edge; double parallel struts brace the tailplane to the lower longerons of the fuselage and single struts brace the fin to the tailplane. Cruising speed is 248 m.p.h. at 16,400ft;., service ceiling 27,600ft., and cruising range about 2,500.
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