The SM 81 was an Italian three-engined , fixed gear Bomber/Transport which start his career in the 30s, flying with Regia Aeronáutica in Abyssinia campaign and with the Aviazione Legionaria in Spanish Civil War. It was developed from SM 73 civilian airliner before the Second World War.

With fixed landing gear and low speed, became obsolete at the moment of the entrance of the Italy in the Second World war therefore. Although robust, the mixed construction that concurred it to absorb remarkable damages in combat, came very soon replaced, in the role of bomber, from the S.M. 79. Its production stopped in March of 1938, after 534 examples had been delivered. The 304 that they remained in force to the aeronautical direction came transformed in aircrafts from transport troops (18 men) after their withdrawal from the squadrons front line.

In this role, S.M. 81 was relegated to the services in North Africa and AOI (Africa Orientale Italiana), where she demonstrated herself enough useful so that  resuming the production in 1943, in the version that they give then came designated to S.M. 81/T. The armistice of Italy with the Allies in the September of 1943 meant that 80 of these additional airplane were only constructed, of which only four they remained in south Italy, while at least two complete units from transport still came equipped with this material in the R.S.I. (in Italy of the North called Reppublica Sociale Italiana).

As historical curiosity is remembered that a model from transport of the S.M. 81 was used like personal aircraft of Duce, Benito Mussolini, copy that received the unsuitable name of " turtle ". Various radial engines were employed, comprising the Alpha Romeo 125 RC 35 or 126 RC 34 respective from 650 HP and 680 HP, or Piaggio P.X RC.35 from 670 HP.

CHARACTERISTICS

• ENGINES: 3 Alfa Romeo 125 R.C. 35 of 650 HP

• PERFORMANCES: Speed: 340 Km/h to 1000 m operating

• WEIGHTS: Empty 5800 Kg

• ARMAMENT: 5 Breda-SAFAT machine-guns from 7.7 milimeters and 2000 kg of bombs.

(Source: Italian Wings – Nei Cieli di Guerra, Giorgio Apostolo Editori, Milano, Italia. and others)

The SUPERMODEL kit of SM 81 is molded in soft yellow plastic and is moderately detailed. I take one year and four months in assemble it.

The cockpit is made up of a base with two pilot seats & figures, control sticks and an instrument panel with decal sheet. Two gunner/bomber is also provided for the foward and central fuselage post. Has nicely detailed engines, machine guns, moveable turrets and separate control surfaces.

There are two versions. A version with Piaggio engines and other with Alfa Romeo engines. I built the Alfa Romeo version.

I used Humbrol colors to made Italian Continental Camoufage (without spots): Matt Dark Green 33 for the upper surfaces, Matt Light Grey 65 for the bottom and others for details. The decals are of the 218 Squadriglia, Night Bomber of Italian Regia Aeronáutica, provided with the model. (For this version, the decals are also provided by Sky Models).

In my model, the tail insignia (Savoia Cross with Royal Shield) and the fuselage Fascio, are made with computer (Harvard Graphics Program) and printed in autoadhesive paper. (the fuselage band are made in autoadhesive paper too).

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