Yesterday I watched the film They Who Dare (1954) on Youtube which is about an SAS attack on a Greek island occupied by the Italians and Germans in 1942. They attacked two airfields in the film. I don’t know if it’;s based on a true story.
Anyway the aircraft in the film were lots of Savoia-Marchetti SM.79’s and the film credited thanks to the Lebanese Air Force. I wonder if any of these neat old bombers have survived in museums?
By: longshot - 7th June 2012 at 23:06
Recovery of L-113
These pics were in the Ali Antiche Italian GAVS magazine…L-113 is now in the Caproni Museum in Trento, I believe.
By: Dave Homewood - 11th May 2012 at 22:22
Great shots. By the way in the film they wear Italian markings.
By: Dave Homewood - 11th May 2012 at 22:22
Great shots. By the way in the film they wear Italian markings.
By: AMB - 11th May 2012 at 22:10
Here are four photos in my collection of L-112 at different stages in its life.
1) The first one shows her in operational condition, taxying out at Nicosia, Cyprus in 1959.
2) In 1966, she was derelict on the dump at Rayak Air Base, Lebanon.
3) 1970 at Turin shortly after being restored and presented to the Italian AF.
4) Finally, my shot of her taken in May 2010 at Vigna di Valle fully restored in Italian AF colours, although this machine never actually served with the It.AF
By: AMB - 11th May 2012 at 22:10
Here are four photos in my collection of L-112 at different stages in its life.
1) The first one shows her in operational condition, taxying out at Nicosia, Cyprus in 1959.
2) In 1966, she was derelict on the dump at Rayak Air Base, Lebanon.
3) 1970 at Turin shortly after being restored and presented to the Italian AF.
4) Finally, my shot of her taken in May 2010 at Vigna di Valle fully restored in Italian AF colours, although this machine never actually served with the It.AF
By: jeepman - 11th May 2012 at 07:29
Two and a half went to Italy, one in the Caproni Museum, one at Vigne di Valle, and a spare fuselage is still in storage I believe.
Pictures of the third survivor on show at the Volandia aviation museum in Italy
By: jeepman - 11th May 2012 at 07:29
Two and a half went to Italy, one in the Caproni Museum, one at Vigne di Valle, and a spare fuselage is still in storage I believe.
Pictures of the third survivor on show at the Volandia aviation museum in Italy
By: Mike J - 11th May 2012 at 04:43
Two and a half went to Italy, one in the Caproni Museum, one at Vigne di Valle, and a spare fuselage is still in storage I believe.
Some years ago, Merlin 70 posted some of his father-in-law’s colour shots of them whilst still in service.
By: Mike J - 11th May 2012 at 04:43
Two and a half went to Italy, one in the Caproni Museum, one at Vigne di Valle, and a spare fuselage is still in storage I believe.
Some years ago, Merlin 70 posted some of his father-in-law’s colour shots of them whilst still in service.
By: jeepman - 11th May 2012 at 01:01
http://www.preservedaxisaircraft.com/
is always a useful port of call for questions like this….
Three of the (four?) Lebanese SM79s have survived – although the third is in skeletal form.
I believe there are also other examples in the Sahara……
By: jeepman - 11th May 2012 at 01:01
http://www.preservedaxisaircraft.com/
is always a useful port of call for questions like this….
Three of the (four?) Lebanese SM79s have survived – although the third is in skeletal form.
I believe there are also other examples in the Sahara……
By: longshot - 10th May 2012 at 23:38
and there’s another shot in
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=87571&page=10
By: longshot - 10th May 2012 at 23:38
and there’s another shot in
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=87571&page=10
By: Dave Homewood - 10th May 2012 at 22:35
Great stuff, I’m glad at least a couple of them survived. At least two were flying in the film.
By: Dave Homewood - 10th May 2012 at 22:35
Great stuff, I’m glad at least a couple of them survived. At least two were flying in the film.
By: Tin Triangle - 10th May 2012 at 22:16
One other, also in Italy:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Lebanon—Air/Savoia-Marchetti-SM-79-III/1839891/L/&sid=fa4b77403c40375a0f201b3e928afdab
By: Tin Triangle - 10th May 2012 at 22:16
One other, also in Italy:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Lebanon—Air/Savoia-Marchetti-SM-79-III/1839891/L/&sid=fa4b77403c40375a0f201b3e928afdab
By: RPSmith - 10th May 2012 at 21:44
In the mid-1960s I was an apprentice at Dunlop and an article that appeared in the “Dunlop Digest” took my interest somewhat.
One or more Dunlop service engineers working in Lebanon came across three(I think) SM.79s. The end result (with Dunlop playing a part) was one of the aircraft returning to Italy and it now resides in the Italian air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle (along with an SM.82). After 40 years I had the pleasure of actually seeing it at Vigna di Valle.
Bob Ogden’s book gives it’s Lebanese identity as L-112. I Don’t know if the other two survived.
Roger Smith.
By: RPSmith - 10th May 2012 at 21:44
In the mid-1960s I was an apprentice at Dunlop and an article that appeared in the “Dunlop Digest” took my interest somewhat.
One or more Dunlop service engineers working in Lebanon came across three(I think) SM.79s. The end result (with Dunlop playing a part) was one of the aircraft returning to Italy and it now resides in the Italian air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle (along with an SM.82). After 40 years I had the pleasure of actually seeing it at Vigna di Valle.
Bob Ogden’s book gives it’s Lebanese identity as L-112. I Don’t know if the other two survived.
Roger Smith.
By: G-ASEA - 10th May 2012 at 21:41
Looking in my old 1970 ‘Veteran and Vintage Aircraft’ by Les Hunt there are two on in Beirut and Turin.
Dave
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May 10, 2012 at 9:17 pm