Siai S.81 Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | November 2012 | Title | Siai S.81 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Franco Farina | Publisher | La Bancarella |
| Published | 2010 | ISBN | N/A |
| Format | 72 pages, softbound | MSRP (Euro) | 18.00€ |
Review
From Ethiopia to Spain, Savoia-Marchetti S.81 bomber-transports embodied Italian irredentist aspirations. Nicknamed Pipistrello ("Bat"), over 560 saw service. And although unquestionably obsolete by World War II, it variously remained in Italian, German and Croatian use throughout the conflict.
The 29th installment in La Bancarella's acclaimed Ali d'Italia series colorfully and capably details this lumbering design. And it perfectly complements ITALERI's recently revised 1:72 S.81.
Bi-lingual Italian-English contents follow the publisher's proven prescription. After brief design and development notes, coverage chronologically courses through service in Ethiopia, Spain and WWII – where Pipistrello bombers principally fought in the Balkans and East Africa. Text concludes with late-war transport use, special versions and technical description.
Regia Aeronautica enthusiasts will certainly savor this superb study. The 64-page monograph sports over 100 B&W and color photos. Superb 1:72-scale plans grace the center spread. And 15 beautifully produced color plates and a color cockpit drawing offer rich reference.
Building Italeri's re-tooled Bat? File this outstanding monograph under "must have"!
Rabidly recommended!
My sincere thanks to La Bancarella for this review sample!