Exotic Seaplane Designs

[PR19_Kit]

Yes, on a second look it does look as if there really are HORDES of S.55 models there, of all different sizes too. I was only looking at the small piccie on the exhibition's web page to start with. Presumably it's to show what Balbo's formation looked like, 24 of them in close formation must have looked awesome, and they flew right over England too as their third stop was Derry in Northern Island!

Trying to imagine 24 SM-55s (their correct designation, but it can so easily be mis-construed!) in formation boggles the mind, and Googling any pics of the group of them is almost impossible as that flight has resulted in almost any formation flight being called a 'Balbo', but I did find this one of 18 of them on the ramp at Orbetello and the following one showing how close they flew!





It's all kinds of an impressive aircraft actually, I'm minded to get mine out of The Loft and actually build the thing!

[PR19_Kit]

As for the equally mind boggling Piaggio PC7, it would have been the only vehicle capable of holding the Water Speed Record and the Air Speed Record at the same time had it worked! 

What is it with the Italians and weird and wonderful seaplanes? The MC-72 was pretty off the wall too, with TWO engines one behind the other, and that realy DID work!

[NARSES2]

Always loved the S.55.

If the Glencoe kit is anything like their others, then it will be basic but should go together quite well. The couple I've built have anyway.

I've put that museum on a "must go see list" 

[RussC]

Presumably it's to show what Balbo's formation looked like, 24 of them in close formation must have looked awesome, and they flew right over England too as their third stop was Derry in Northern Island!

Trying to imagine 24 SM-55s (their correct designation, but it can so easily be mis-construed!) in formation boggles the mind, and Googling any pics of the group of them is almost impossible as that flight has resulted in almost any formation flight being called a 'Balbo', but I did find this one of 18 of them on the ramp at Orbetello and the following one showing how close they flew

According to a docu on Discovery wings channel, the sight of 24 foreign aircraft over US soil, boggled a lot of minds in the early strategic airpower advocates. Maybe the B-10, 18, and 17 had a bit to thank the SM-55. When the first B-17s were ready, they demonstrated their overwater proficiency by navigating to and intercepting the Italian cruise Liner the Rex and giving it a thorough buzzing. Maybe giving a Balbo in return!

[CANSO]

Speaking of exotic seaplane designs I think another Savoia-Marchetti, this time the S.65 is also a "strange beauty" in her own way. Looks like a sci-fi vessel to me.


There is also a plastic model in 1:72 from Karaya:


All above pictures are from the www.

[rickshaw]

Rather a minimalist design isn't it?  Looks nice.  Is the vertical tail offset or is that just a trick of perspective?

[CANSO]

Is the vertical tail offset or is that just a trick of perspective?

I don't think so. BTW the oval of the tail by the real plane is much more elegant than this of the model - the whole model looks somehow shortened.

[PR19_Kit]

I've got the Karaya kit, it's a small box full of even smaller bits! 

You'd need to be dedicated to build it I'm sure, but one day.........

[NARSES2]

A lot of the Italian designs for the Schneider races are absolutely gorgeous and that's one of them

[Cobra]

Agreed,the S.65 looks like it came out of the Pages of 'Buck Rogers'! Dan

[PR19_Kit]

My brain hurts.......

I've just been trawling to see if there are any 1/72 kits of the Piaggio PC7 available, but I could only find an OOP resin 1/48 one by Noix.

What I found as well REALLY blew my mind! The real aircraft never managed to fly, caused by problems with the clutch that connected the water and air props to the engine IIRC, but in 1988 an Italian guy built an R/C FLYING version of the PC7 and won the model scale Schneider Trophy that year! 

Not only that, the same guy also built an R/C SM65 as well!

See here for more details :- http://alain.vassel.pagesperso-orange.fr/skyways.htm

To show how mad this aircraft was, here's a couple of pics (from the translated Italian Wiki page here :-

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaggio_P.C.7&ei=fsKjT8GbCszU4QSHhbHPCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEMQ7gEwBA&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522piaggio%2Bpc7%2522%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1233%26bih%3D705%26gbv%3D2%26prmd%3Dimvns





The lower pic shows it floating, it's not sunk. It used hydro-skis, like a Convair Sea Dart but non-retractable, to get the air prop clear of the water as it was accelerated by its water prop that was just below the fin. Then they clutched in the air prop and de-clutched the water prop to fly! Mind blowing!

I'm starting to think that I could possibly convert a Delta Macchi MC72 into a PC7, hmmmmm........

[perttime]

Is this 1/72 kit of the Piaggio-Pegna P.C.7 "Pinocchio" any good?
http://www.pacmodels.com/vintage.shtml

I like the look of the earlier Macchi racers: M.39 and M.52

[PR19_Kit]

Is this 1/72 kit of the Piaggio-Pegna P.C.7 "Pinocchio" any good?
http://www.pacmodels.com/vintage.shtml

It certainly is!  

It's the same aircraft  but it never showed up when I was searching for it. Thanks for finding it.  

[Later] I can't see how I'd go about ordering it though, there's no 'Add to basket' button or similar, and the only way I can find that page is by going via your link.

[Rheged]

Macchi-Thunderbird PC7, as  piloted by Vergillio  Traceyo.

 The design might well have been sold to  Mitsubishi in 1942, leading to unseemly squabbles between the  Japanese Air Force and Navy as to who was to use it as a "Special Purpose Device"    If it can't dive onto your flight deck, it will zoom up and torpedo you instead.

[perttime]

only way I can find that page is by going via your link.

And I got it through a pretty random search. Something like "Piaggio pc 7 plan", probably.

edit: ahhhh, when I found a search on the site, I got a page saying
"noi_48018  Piaggio Pegna PC.7. Out of Stock & Out of Production. Pls don't order.  "


There's at least one free plan for a sticks and tissue P.C.7 but you might have to sign up to the site to get it.