All Thomas Gunn aircraft are hand carved in mahogany and take around 60 hours to manufacture, each comes with a full interior and all are limited editions.

LIMITED-EDITION! ONLY FIVE AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE!

**No figure included.

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 was a WW2 Italian bomber and transport aircraft. It was a cantilever, mid-wing monoplane trimotor with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. There were 875 (plus one prototype) built in total, the first entering service in 1940. Although able to operate as a bomber with a maximum bombload of up to 8,818 lb (4000 kg), the SM.82 saw very limited use in this role. The SM.82 was one of the largest number of a foreign built aircraft to be used by the Luftwaffe, in fact the Luftwaffe operated several hundred in a transport role. Post-war about 30 SM.82s continued in service with the Aeronautica Militare Italiana, many remaining in service until the early 1960’s. The SM.82 was developed from the earlier SM.75 Marsupiale civil transport as a heavy bomber and military transport. Although having the same configuration of the SM.75, the SM.82 was larger. The aircraft was quickly developed and the prototype first flew in 1939. Although underpowered and slow, it was capable of carrying heavy loads, including the L3 light tank and a complete disassembled CR.42 fighter. It had both cargo and troop transport capability, with room up to 40 men and their equipment. Deliveries to the Regia Aeronautica began in 1940. However, production rates were slow, with only 100 aircraft delivered in 1940, and another 100 in 1941, there were never enough of these aircraft in service due to the slow production and the exigencies of operating on two military fronts. By 1942 production doubled to 200 a year, while in 1944 almost 300 were produced, by which time the factory was under the control of the German armed forces. Operated by the Italian Air Force with some success the SM.82 was a reliable workhorse but there were never enough in operation to make a difference to the outcome of the war. Between 1942 and Spring 1943, the Luftwaffe’s FliegerTransportGruppe "Savoia" operated 100 Savoia Marchettis. After September 1943, SIAI kept on producing SM.82 for the Luftwaffe, delivering another 299 planes. Other Marsupiali were also captured after the 8 September armistice and pressed into Luftwaffe service. These aircraft had better capabilities as transports than the Junkers JU52, the standard transport aircraft of the Luftwaffe, which however was a much more robust design, compared to the SM.82, being an all metal construction. Under German insignia, the Savoia Marchetti were operated mostly by 6th Luftflotte and ReichLuftflotte on the Eastern front and in Northern Germany up to the end of war. WOW118 is in German markings. This is a 1/32 scale aircraft with dimensions of 93cm/37" wingspan by 69cm/27" fuselage length and if you are looking for a comparison is roughly the same size as B-17 Flying Fortress.

Info: SM.82 German Bomber, WWII Display Model - No figure included.