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by Luca Stefano Cristini (Author)
The Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 Sparviero holds a very special place in the history of Italian aviation. It is not simply one of many aircraft that took part in World War II, but a true symbol-the aircraft that, more than any other, has remained in the collective imagination as the embodiment of the Italian Air Force during that conflict. Even today, more than eighty years after its baptism of fire, its unmistakable silhouette continues to be recognized and admired by enthusiasts and scholars around the world.
The history of the Sparviero began in the early 1930s, when engineer Alessandro Marchetti, of the Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia (SIAI) in Sesto Calende, found himself working on an ambitious project... and its numerous nicknames, among them Sparviero and Gobbo maledetto, are proof of the legend of the S.M.79!
