Savoia-Marchetti SM.88

Savoia-Marchetti

Industry	Aerospace, Defense
Headquarters	Italy
Products	Aircraft

Template:Infobox aircraft

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.88 was an Italian twin-engine, three-seat heavy fighter prototype developed during World War II. It featured a distinctive twin-boom design and was powered by German Daimler-Benz DB 601 engines.

Conceived primarily for export markets, the SM.88 was a land-based, versatile heavy fighter considered technologically advanced upon its 1939 introduction. Despite Savoia-Marchetti’s prior experience with twin-boom configurations, such as the S.55, this arrangement was regarded as innovative within the Italian aerospace sector.

The aircraft accommodated a crew of three—two pilots and a rear gunner—seated within a fully glazed, ejectable nacelle positioned centrally on the wing panel, behind the two Daimler-Benz DB 601 powerplants. Its tail assembly consisted of two vertical stabilizers connected by a single horizontal tailplane. The retractable undercarriage included four wheels: two situated in the forward fuselage and one at the end of each boom. The airframe combined a wooden framework covered with metal skinning.

During bombing operations, the pilot assumed bombardier duties by lying prone on the fuselage floor to aim bombs, while the co-pilot maintained control of the aircraft. Defensive armament comprised a rear flexible plastic turret integrated into the crew nacelle and two additional 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT heavy machine guns mounted in the wings.

With the onset of World War II, Germany refused to authorize export of the DB 601 engines to Italy, leaving the SM.88 without its intended propulsion system. The Regia Aeronautica chose not to procure the aircraft, citing comparable performance from the already operational and well-armed Messerschmitt Bf 110.

In 1942, the Regia Aeronautica requested modifications transforming the design into a fast reconnaissance or bomber aircraft. Specifications included a range of 2,000 km (1,240 mi) with auxiliary fuel tanks or 1,500 km (930 mi) carrying a 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb load, providing an effective operational radius of 750 km (465 mi). In response, Savoia-Marchetti developed the SM.91 and SM.92, both heavily influenced by the SM.88 design.

References

• Lembo, Daniele, I bifusoliera della Regia, Storia militare magazine, Westward editions, no. 11, April–May 2000 (in Italian)

External links

• Italian Twin-Engine Fighters That Might Have Been, 1943 – worldatwar.net