Italy

Forerunner of the Siai-Marchetti organization (see Siai-Marchetti Societa Per Azioni). Founded 1915 by Luigi Cape at Sesto Calende, with a seaplane base on Lake Maggiore. As Idrovolanti Savoia built FBA flying-boats under license. Name “Savoia”had a geographical and historical connotation (House of Savoy), and after the war new flying-boats were known by the name Idrovolanti Savoia, or Savoia. These achieved early distinction, notably in the 1920 Schneider Trophy contest. Names Savoia and Marchetti were linked in 1922, when Alessandro Marchetti became technical director of company renamed Societa Idrovolanti Alta Italia—Savoia-Marchetti. In 1925 the company gained publicity when an S.16ter was flown to Australia and Tokyo and back to Italy by Francesco De Pinedo. Famous types included the twin-hulled S-55 which, though first flown in 1924, is remembered chiefly for General Balbo’s mass-formation flights of 1930 and 1933. Special long-range landplane S-64 broke world’s duration and distance records in June 1930. Initials S. M. for type numbers were not commonly applied until later, and then particularly in association with fast 3-engined civil and military types. Most famous was S.M.79 bomber and torpedo bomber of Second World War. Civil types included the record-breaking S.M.75 of 1939. Last Second World War aircraft was S.M.91 twin-boom fighter-bomber, but S.M.84 bomber served as transport until 1948.