Aircraft · Italy · 1935-1943
Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Pipistrello
bomber / transport
A militarised derivative of the SM.73 airliner, the trimotor SM.81 'Pipistrello' (Bat) was fast, well armed and long-ranged when it entered service in 1935, and it flew widely in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and the Spanish Civil War. By the outbreak of WWII around 300 remained in front-line use, but its age forced it into night bombing and, increasingly, transport duties as newer bombers took over the daylight role.
| crew | 6 |
|---|---|
| armament | 6x 7.7mm machine guns, up to 2,000kg bombs |
| top speed | 340 km/h |
| produced | 535 |
