Operators
Kingdom of Italy
| SP.4 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Reconnaissance and bomber aircraft |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | AER |
| Designer | Umberto Savoia and Ottorino Pomilio |
| First flight | 1917 |
| Number built | ca. 150 |
| Developed from | Savoia-Pomilio SP.1 |
The Savoia-Pomilio SP.4 was a reconnaissance and bomber aircraft built in Italy during the First World War. [1] It was a further development of the family of designs that had started with the SP.1. Ultimately all of these took their basic configuration from the Farman MF.11: a biplane with twin tails and a fuselage nacelle that accommodated the crew and a pusher-mounted engine. [2] However, the SP.4 differed both from its Farman antecedent and the previous Savoia-Pomilio designs by featuring twin engines mounted in the interplane gap in place of the single engine in the nacelle. [2] Removing the engine from this position allowed a second machine gun to be placed there instead. [2]
Apart from their intended role as a reconnaissance aircraft and bomber, some SP.4s were used to insert spies and saboteurs behind enemy lines. [3] A further development designated SP.5 remained unbuilt by the end of the war. [4]
Kingdom of Italy Data from "Savoja-Pomilio S.p.4"
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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