World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe SM.81 Pipistrello ("Bat") bombers were developed from an earlier SM.73 airliner design. They first saw combat in Abyssinia, where they served bombing, reconnaissance, and transport roles. They also served under the Spanish Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. Although they were dated by the time Italy entered WW2, more than 100 SM.81 bombers remained in service with the Italian air force Regia Aeronautica. In North Africa, where hostile aerial opposition was less intense, they continued to serve as a night bomber, but in the Mediterranean Sea and later in the Sicily Campaign they were used mainly as a transport only. A total of 534 were built during the design's production life. After the war, a few of them continued to serve with Italy and Spain until 1950.

SPECIFICATIONS

SM.81

Machinery	Three Piaggio P.X RC.35 radial engines rated at 700hp each
Armament	6x7.7mm machine guns, 2,000kg maximum bomb load
Crew	6
Span	24.00 m
Length	18.30 m
Height	4.45 m
Wing Area	93.00 m²
Weight, Empty	6,300 kg
Weight, Maximum	9,300 kg
Speed, Maximum	340 km/h
Service Ceiling	7,000 m
Range, Normal	2,000 km

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