FS2002 Pro/Standard Savoia Marchetti SM 55X
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Model version n°3.
Here it is the virtual model for Fs2002 of the famous Italian flying boat. The model here presented shows an example of the plane which took part to the historic North Atlantic flight to commemorate the tenth anniversary of foundation of Italian Royal Air Force in 1933. The file contains two different painting schemes which were carried by two aircraft of the historic flight. The black one was that of the leader of the flight, Marshall Italo Balbo while the red one was that of Capt. Nannini .
The model designed with FSDS V.2.1 from ABACUS has moving parts, a detailed 2D and a 3d virtual cockpit canopywithoperating
Model and panel by Massimo Taccoli. The black example is a repaint from Luigi Speroni.
The file contains a specially made adventure which allow to run through all legs of the eroic flight, from Orbetello to Chicago and back. The adventure is in italian language though, but it can easily perfomed also by non Italian user because there are clear info for each way point of the leg which can be printed . Messages which apperar on the screen are in Italian language and also voices from radio station are in Italian, but are simple messages which describes the direction of wind , how many km there are for the next waypopint and so on.
Panel is based on some rare photography of the plane. The lay out and the shape of instrument is tied to the availability of gauges found on the web. There are two version of the panel which can be used , a simple version ( panel.adventure) and more adherent to the epoc of the flight and a more modern panel layout ( panel.std) with radio stack an navigation gauges.
The dashboard was complete for that time and included :
- a magnetic gyroscopic compass "Ascania",
- a speed gauge,
- vertical speed gauge,
- a virosbandometer,
- artificial gyroscopic horizon indicator,
- a Sperry type direction indicator.
There was also a radio-telegraph radiogoniometric transreceiver.
How to install the model.
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Unzip the file in the FS2002/aircraft folder (check that 'use folder names' and 'overwrite existing files' are marked in winzip)and everything will be put in the right place. Then unzip gauges.zip, which is in the plane folder, in the \gauges folder of FS2002.
Historic notes.
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Savoia Marchetti S55 was designed as a flying torpedo bomber by his famous italian designer Ing. Alessandro Marchetti, though it was more famous for its legendary undertaking. Among them we can remember the historic flight which took place from may to june 1928 when a squadron composed by not less than 61 aircraft leadered by Italo Balbo and De Pinedo flew for about 2800 km across the Mediterranean sea. A second flight across the Eastern Mediterranean sea took place in the following year, flying for some 4667 km, it was also a commercial success because 30 of those aircraft were sold to the Sovietic government.
The most famous undertaking of S55 were however those of the two Atlantic flights in 1930 and 1933.
In the first one, four squadron composed of three aircrafts with other two aircrafts, as reserve, took off from Orbetello lagoon on the 17th december, leadered by Italo Balbo and flew across seven legs which touched, Los Alcazares, Kenitra, Villa Cisneros-Bolama, Natal, Bahia and reached Rio de Janeiro on the 15th of january after a journey of 10400 km at the mean speed of 177 km/h (95 knots). The Flight of 1933, which this model represents the example marked I-NANN, whose leader was Capt.Nannini, was held to commemorate the tenth anniversary of foundation of Italian Royal Air Force in 1933 had a better world shattering. Twentyfive S.55X, leadered by Italo Balbo, in eight squadrons flew from Orbetello to New York across the Atlantic Ocean with legs in Netherland,Ireland,Island,Labrador,Canada and Chicago and flew back to Italy on the 12th August after having crossed twice the North Atlantic Ocean and flew 19800 km. The flight was not so simple, it was hampered often by fog, ice, with aircraft filled to the maximum of fuel. Those courageous pilots had an enthusiastic welcome in the United States.
Aircraft specifications.
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Engines: N° 2 930 Hp Isotta Fraschini Asso 750
Span: 24.00 m 78.74 ft
Lenght: 16.60 m 54.46 ft
Height: 5.00 m 16.40 ft
Wing surface: 93.00 m2 1001 sq.ft
empty weight: 5750 kg 12676 lb
MTOW: 8250 kg 18188 lb
Max speed: 280 km/h 151 kts
Cruising speed 235 km/h 127 kts
Time to go to 2000 m 6560 ft , 9' 9"
Ceiling : 5000 m 16400 ft
Range: 3000 km 1864 mls
Legal Stuff
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The software contained in this archive is supplied for your use as "freeware". No fee or charge is made for its use.
The original author retains full ownership of these files and reserves all rights and privileges under U.S. and international copyright laws.
This archive may be freely redistributed provided that the entire archive is distributed, as is, without modification. No fee of any kind may be charged for the software, or its distribution.
The software, or any part of it, may not be included in any other product that is sold or distributed for a fee. The software, or any part of it, may be distributed as part of other "freeware" products only at the express permission of the author.
original author
Massimo Taccoli
maxtaccoli@libero.it
Web page : www.maxtac.it
February 2003
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