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Dora Wings 1/72 Savoia-Marchetti S.55X Balbo by Vince Fiore |
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The SM.55 prototype established fourteen records. Francesco de Pinedo flew it around the world for a
total distance of 27,230 miles (43,820 km). The plane set a series of endurance and distance records. And
it made two Atlantic crossings in formation, in 1930 and 1933, with Italo Balbo at the controls. The SM.55 was
world-famous from the middle 1920s until the middle of the 1930s. Alessandro Marchetti's plane was a remarkable aircraft. The SM.55 appeared in 1924. The air force was looking for a torpedo-launching seaplane, and the designer found several original solutions for the technical problems that had to be met. It was a twin-hull flying boat, and the tail was supported by two booms extending from the hulls. The two engines were installed above the cenral section of the wing on a trellis-like structure. The cockpit was in the wing between the two hulls, while fuel tanks, radio, gun and sighting turret were housed in the hulls. Torpedoes or bombs were suspended from the lower side of the wing between the two hulls. Not only did the plane perform well on water and in the air, but it was designed in such a way that one could easily reach any part of the craft and, if necessary, replace the installations. Nevertheless, the air force commission found the plane too unorthodox for its tastes, and two years went by before the aircraft's merits were fully appreciated. The Italian air force ordered the SM.55 in 1925 and was so satisfied with its performance that 170 models were manufactured beginning in 1926. There were several variant models, with different structural details and varying performance, weight, and size. In some cases more powerful engines were installed. There were three military versions, the A, M, and X models and two civilian versions, the C and P models. In place of armament and military equipment, the civilian models had room for nine to twelve passengers. These planes saw service, beginning in 1926, with the Aero Espresso company, the Societa Area Mediterranea (SAM), and the Ala Littoria. Until 1937 they flew Mediterranean routes. The first of the SM.55s long-range flights took place in 1927. Francesco de Pinedo and Carlo Del Prete flew one of the first military SM.55s, the Santa Maria; the armament was removed and structural reinforcements were applied. At 7.35 on the morning of February 13 they took off from the seaplane port of Elmas, Sardinia, and flew to Africa, South America, and North America. Because of the negligence of one of the spectators in New Orleans, the Santa Maria caught fire and burned. The return flight was made aboard another SM.55, which touched down in Rome on June 16. A total of 28,000 miles (43,820 km) had been flown across four continents. In 1928 another flight across the South Atlantic was made with the Brazilian fliers Braga and De Barros aboard. In June of the same year Umberto Maddalena and Stefano Cagna took part in the search for the wreck of Umberto Nobile's dirigible in the polar region. In May and June Italo Balbo and Francesco De Pinedo undertook the first mass air cruise in history: sixty-one planes flew more than 1,700 miles (2,800 km) across the Mediterranean. A second group flight in the eastern Mediterranean was made the following year, logging 2,900 miles (4,667 km). But the SM.55 is probably most famous for the two trans-Atlantic flights of 1930 and 1933. On December 17, 1930, four squadrons of three aeroplanes - with two in reserve - set off from Orbetello under the command of Italo Balbo. The fourteen planes, all SM.55As, reached Rio de Janeiro on January 15, 1931, after flying 6,400 miles (10,400 km) at an average speed of 115 mph (185 km/h). The 1933 flight was in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Regia Aeronautica - Decennial Air Cruise (Crociera aerea del Decennale). Twenty-five SM.55Xs, again under the command of Italo Balbo, flew from Orbetello to Chicago’s Century of Progress World's Fair and back to Rome. They flew 12,300 miles (19,800 km) in this double crossing of the North Atlantic. Decennial Air Cruise - Legacy & Monuments:
Balbo (aircraft formation) "Balbo" was a common term in the late 1930s and early 1940s to describe any large formation of aircraft. It was named after the Italian gen. Italo Balbo who led a series of large aircraft formations in record-breaking flights to promote Italian aviation in the 1930s. During the Battle of Britain the term was used for the Big Wings that were based at RAF Duxford. The term is still used today in the Britain for a mass fly-by at the end of an airshow. References: [1] Angelucci E. and Matricardi P., "World Aircraft 1918-1935", Sampson Low Guides, 1977. [2] Ron Grossman, "Chicago Cheered Italo Balbo", Chicago Tribune, July 16, 2023
Chicago Tribune, "Chicago Cheered Italo Balbo"
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I had a kit of the SM 55 A with which I wanted to convert to the type flown from Italy to the states by Balbo SM 55 X. This required a very extensive conversion. After mating the wings and hulls, I needed to alter the entire top front portion of the hulls. To do this, I chose Millput. When the desired results were achieved, I let it harden overnight. When completely cured, it could be sanded to the final shape. Next, a coat of primer was applied, then a coat of Mr. Hobby super white gloss was applied. Previous to this I bought a decal for Balbo's plane. I made a very big mistake of spraying a coat of clear varnish on the whole sheet, as this is sometimes suggested with these special decals. Big mistake as wrinkles appeared over the entire sheet. At this point, I almost pitched everything in the bin. I then decided to make my own masks, or at least give it a try. Using the damaged decal sheet as a paten I cut my masks. When painting was done, a lot of touch-ups were required. With the exception of a couple little decals the rest of the motif is painted with homemade stencils and masking tape. A very long process. The engines came with the decals. They are cast resign. The kit is Dora Wings. A good-fitting kit. All paints were MR. Hobby.
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Aircraft: SIAI-Marchetti SM.55X Manufacturer: SIAI-Marchetti Type: Long-range flying boat Year: 1933 Engine: Two Isotta-Fraschini Asso, 12-cylinder V, liquid-cooled, 800 hp each Wingspan: 78 ft 9 in (24.00 m) Length: 54ft 1 in (16.50 m) Height: 16 ft 5 in (5.00 m) Weight: 22,000lb (10,000 kg) Maximum Speed: 149 mph (240 km/h) Ceiling: 16,400ft (5,000 m) Range: 2,400 miles (4,000 km) Crew: 4 Cargo: 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) |
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June 2026 STORMO! © 2026 |
