A structured archival collection of original Italian factory documentation for the Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 Sparviero — one of the most operationally significant medium bombers and torpedo bombers of the Second World War. This collection brings together ten primary technical documents spanning the aircraft's principal production variants and service years, organized for serious researchers, warbird historians, and restoration professionals.

Definitive Collection with Free Lifetime Updates: This is a living collection that we continuously expand and refine. As we acquire additional S.M.79 documentation, technical bulletins, or variant-specific materials, we update this collection and provide free lifetime updates to all purchasers. Your one-time purchase guarantees access to all future additions and improvements to this collection.

Historical Note

The Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 Sparviero (Sparrowhawk) originated in the early 1930s as a high-speed commercial transport design, its low-wing cantilever monoplane configuration and retractable undercarriage enabling it to set multiple international speed records before military adoption. The Regia Aeronautica recognized its potential and ordered it into bomber production, where it entered service in 1936 and saw its combat debut during the Spanish Civil War. By the outbreak of the Second World War, the S.M.79 was the backbone of Italian medium bomber and torpedo bomber operations across the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Eastern Front.

Its mixed construction — welded tubular steel forward fuselage, duralumin skinning, and all-wooden wings — gave it exceptional structural resilience. The distinctive dorsal hump housing the upper gun position earned it the affectionate nickname Il Gobbo Maledetto ("The Damned Hunchback") among its crews. Powered by three Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 radials of 780 hp each in its primary bomber configuration, the S.M.79 achieved a maximum speed of 430 km/h at 4,250 m — remarkable for a trimotor medium bomber of its era. Later torpedo bomber variants (the S.M.79-II and S.M.79-III Aerosilurante) were re-engined with Alfa Romeo 128 RC.18 or Piaggio P.XI RC.40 powerplants, and the ventral gondola was removed to improve performance during low-level torpedo attack profiles.

Total production reached approximately 1,217 airframes across all variants. The S.M.79 served with the Regia Aeronautica, the Croatian Air Force, the Romanian Air Force, and post-war with the Iraqi Air Force and Lebanese Air Force. Its torpedo bomber crews — the aerosiluranti — became among the most celebrated aviators of the Italian war effort, conducting precision attacks against Allied shipping throughout the Mediterranean.

Manuals Included in This Collection

• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Bomber Aircraft Illustrated Parts Catalog — Catalogo Nomenclatore (Italian) — C.A. 313, 11ª Serie di 24 Apparecchi, 1939
• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Bomber Aircraft Illustrated Parts Catalog — Catalogo Nomenclatore (Italian) — C.A. 313 ter-B.3, 1939
• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Aircraft Illustrated Parts Catalog — Catalogo Nomenclatore (Italian) — SIAI Savoia-Marchetti, 1939
• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Aircraft Illustrated Parts Catalog — Catalogo Nomenclatore (Italian) — C.A. 313 ter-2, 15ª Serie di 60, 1940
• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Aircraft Illustrated Parts Catalog — Catalogo Nomenclatore (Italian) — C.A. 313 ter-D, 6ª Serie dei 25, Aeronautica Umbra Foligno, 1940
• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Bis Aerosilurante Aircraft Illustrated Parts Catalog — Catalogo Nomenclatore (Italian) — C.A. 313 ter-E/3, XLIII Serie, 1943
• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Aircraft Erection and Maintenance Manual — Istruzioni per il Montaggio e la Regolazione (Italian) — C.A. 289, 1ª Serie di 24 Apparecchi
• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Aircraft Erection and Maintenance Manual — Istruzioni per il Montaggio e la Regolazione (Italian) — C.A. 289, 8ª Serie MM 21433–21492
• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Aircraft Erection and Maintenance Manual — Istruzioni per il Montaggio e la Regolazione (Italian) — C.A. 289, 4ª e 11ª Serie MM 22033–22056
• Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 Bomber Aircraft Illustrated Parts Catalog — Catalogo Nomenclatore (Italian) — C.A. 313 ter-E/3, 1943

The collection spans the principal production years 1939–1943, covering the standard bomber variant across multiple production series (1ª through XLIII Serie), the S.M.79 Bis Aerosilurante torpedo bomber, and three editions of the erection and maintenance manual reflecting progressive engineering changes throughout the aircraft's operational life. Manufacturers represented include Savoia-Marchetti Sesto Calende and Società Anonima Aeronautica Umbra of Foligno.

Engineering Norms and Standards

The S.M.79 was designed and produced under Regia Aeronautica engineering directives and Savoia-Marchetti factory standards of the 1930s–1940s. Key technical characteristics documented in this collection include:

• Structure: Welded tubular steel forward fuselage frame; duralumin alloy skinning forward; plywood and fabric construction aft; all-wooden wing structure for weight efficiency and ditching survivability
• Aerodynamics: Trailing-edge flaps and Handley Page-style leading-edge slats for low-speed handling management at high wing loading
• Powerplants: Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 (780 hp), Alfa Romeo 128 RC.18 (860 hp), Piaggio P.XI RC.40 (1,000 hp); variable-pitch all-metal three-bladed propellers; ethyl alcohol injection on some 1942 installations for emergency power boost to 900 hp
• Performance: Maximum speed 430 km/h at 4,250 m; cruising speed 373 km/h at 5,000 m; service ceiling 6,500 m; range approximately 2,000 km loaded; landing run 200–300 m
• Armament: Three 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns (fixed forward, dorsal, ventral) and two 7.7 mm guns; internal bomb bay for up to 1,200 kg of bombs or one/two externally carried 450 mm torpedoes
• Modifications: Ventral gondola removal on torpedo variants; fuel capacity increased to 1,000 litres with bomb-bay auxiliary tanks for extended-range missions

Format and Delivery

• Instant digital download — PDF format
• High-resolution scans of original Italian factory documents
• All documents in original Italian language as issued by Savoia-Marchetti and the Regia Aeronautica
• Organized folder structure by document type and date
• Compatible with all PDF readers on desktop, tablet, and mobile
• Print-friendly for workshop reference use

Disclaimer: These documents are provided for historical research, archival study, and restoration reference purposes only. They do not constitute current airworthiness documentation. No guarantee is made as to completeness for any specific restoration project. All trade names and designations remain the property of their respective owners. This digital compilation, structure, indexing and presentation are © Sicuro Publishing.