Savoia-Marchetti SM.83

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.83 was an Italian civil airliner of the 1930s, a civilian version of the SM.79 bomber. It was a monoplane with retractable undercarriage and a slim fuselage, built in the company's usual mixed construction of steel tubes, wood and fabric or metal skin, and powered by three Alfa Romeo 126 radial engines. The cabin had heaters, oxygen and sound insulation but held only four to ten passengers alongside a crew of four. Its maximum range was stated as 4,800 km and its top speed was 444 km/h, slightly better than the bomber because it lacked the gondola and hump gun positions. It first flew on 19 November 1937 and entered production for LATI, SABENA and other companies, but it was less successful than the more economical 18-seat S.73, and only 23 were built in two main series.