Savoia-Marchetti S.79
I Serie

Italeri, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Glen Porter

Italeri's 1/72 scale S.79 Serie I will be available online from Squadron.com

The tri-motor SM.79 was developed as a fast postal aircraft in the mid-30s, later turned into a bomber and during WWII extensively and successfully used as a Torpedo bomber.

Italeri has already released the Torpedo carrying Series III SM.79. The initial release was a newly tooled model with excellent interior detail through out and engraved panel lines. This kit is a modification of that mould to bring you a Series I Bomber. Most of the parts are the same with only a few areas changed. The main fuselage sprue has the torpedo and its equipment removed and the open dorsal gun position is closed giving the classic humped back look. There's no change to the wing sprue and there are a few extra parts on the clear sprue.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

The decals are beautifully printed by Zanchetti Buccinasco. As usual from them they are a little on the matt side.

There are four decal options, two from the Spanish Civil War with appropriate markings and camouflage and two from Italy, one in 1937 and 1941. There are a couple of oddities among the decals that I haven't been able to figure out. Six small multi-coloured Alfa Romeo badges marked as number 3, I can't find in the instructions. Similarly, there are six white lines about a centimetre long, number 13, that I cant find and they tell you to place number 2, three yellow lines around the engine cowlings just behind the Copper/bronze oil coolers which in the art-work are silver.

The above decal faults notwithstanding, this is an excellent kit of a very important aircraft with incredibly good detail.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Italeri for the review sample