S.M.79 B (Germany)

This page is about the gift German bomber S.M.79 B (Germany). For other versions, see S.M.79 (Family).

▀S.M.79 B

▀S.M.79 B

Description

The ▀S.M.79 Sparviero B (1936) was an Italian-made medium bomber which served in the Romanian air force. In 1936, Romania showed interest in the Italian Savoia-Marchetti 79 triple-engined bomber, and asked the manufacturer if they could develop a twin-engined version. The work on the aircraft finished in 1939. Unlike the regular S.M.79, the S.M.79B had two locally built licensed versions of the French Gnome-Rhône K14 radial engine, which also powered the Romanian IAR-80 fighter. The nose section was redesigned, with the typical hump housing the forward-facing 12.7 mm machine gun being removed and the cockpit positioned above the fuselage, offering better all-around view compared to the base S.M.79. The nose received a glazing, improving the bombardier's view, and the tail was slightly enlarged. Due to having two engines, both climb rate and speed were decreased compared to the regular S.M.79. A total of 24 aircraft were ordered, later on another 80 were made locally by IAR, using German Jumo 211 engines.

The S.M.79B has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27 in the German aviation tree. In Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica", the S.M.79, as well as the other Italian planes in the German tree, were added to the new Italian tree, and the aircraft became unavailable to research. The bomb load of the twin-engined version is same as their triple-engined counterpart, however the S.M.79B is notably slower, with worse climb rate and no offensive weaponry. The aircraft has no weaponry to defend against frontal attacks, and the angles the defensive weaponry can fire around the aircraft are very bad. Only the dorsal 12.7 mm machine gun features very good vertical angle of fire. The aircraft features very good horizontal and vertical manoeuvrability due to its large elevator surface area, however the elevator stiffens above 390 km/h.

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 3,700 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	424	413		36.6	37.3	3.0	3.9	580
Upgraded	467	445		33.5	35.0	10.1	5.9

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
		457	428	280	~4	~2

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 260	< 270	< 270	> 307

Survivability and armour

• No armour plating
• No armour glazing
• Fuel tanks located in fuselage and wing roots

Armaments

Suspended armament

The S.M.79 B (Germany) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 12 x 50 kg GP 50 bombs (600 kg total)
• 12 x 100 kg GP 100T bombs (1,200 kg total)
• 5 x 250 kg GP 250 bombs (1,250 kg total)
• 2 x 500 kg GP 500 bombs (1,000 kg total)

Defensive armament

The S.M.79 B (Germany) is defended by:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, dorsal turret (500 rpg)
• 1 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, ventral turret (500 rpg)
• 1 x 7.7 mm Lewis machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (500 rpg)

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".

Pros:

Cons:

• No forward-facing defensive armament

History

Archive of the in-game description

Twin-engine SIAI Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79B medium bomber. During the pre-war period, SIAI actively tried to export the S.M.79. Alessandro Marchetti argued that twin-engine planes, not three-engine, would be best for export. So, in spite of the Royal Italian Air Force's rejection of the S.M.79B bomber project, he continued work in this area, developing a prototype. The S.M.79B had a completely redesigned nose section. A glazed cabin for the bombardier/navigator was placed where the centrally located engine used to be. The cockpit, to improve visibility, was moved forward and raised. The dorsal "hump" was moved farther back. Also, the area of the keel was increased slightly. The plane was powered by two 14-cylinder star-shaped air-cooled Gnome-Rhone 14Kfs engines with 950 hp and a metal three-bladed variable-pitch SIAI propeller. The engines were placed in elongated engine nacelles, and the aeroplane was given a more streamlined design, which fully compensated for the reduction in total thrust. The aircraft's defensive armament remained virtually unchanged: three heavy-calibre 12.7 mm Breda SAFAT machine guns, with 500 rounds per gun. One fixed machine gun was placed in the nose, and a second was located in the turret under the hump's sliding panel. The ventral gondola was now used only for a third gun, defending the plane from attacks from the lower rear. The twin-engine S.M.79B was offered to Belgium, Brazil, China, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Turkey, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. However, no orders from any of these countries were ever received. In the spring of 1937, Iraq ordered five S.M.79Bs. The aircraft for Iraq were equipped with A.80 RC.41 engined with a takeoff power of 1,030 hp. The third, fourth, and fifth S.M.79Bs had larger cockpit windows. In early 1938, the Italian crews ferried the aircraft to the customer. All of these planes were eventually destroyed in 1941 during the rebellion in Iraq. The largest order for the twin-engine S.M.79B was placed by the country of Romania. In autumn of 1937, the Romanians requested 24 of the aircraft equipped with IAR K14-II engines with a power of 900 hp. (A licensed version of the Gnome-Rhone engine, produced in Romania.) When compared with the Iraqi planes, the Romanian version had several differences: the mobile 7.92 mm Browning FN machine gun with rotary magazine and 350 rounds of ammunition (mounted in the nose) and various equipment modifications. In 1938, these aircraft entered service with two squadrons of the Forţele Aeriene Regale ale Romaniei (Royal Romanian Air Force).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the S.M.79 B (Germany) from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• S.M.79 (Family)
  • S.M.79 B

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance