What is savoia-marchetti?

Savoia-Marchetti was an Italian aircraft manufacturer, founded in 1915 by Umberto Savoia and Rodolfo Marchetti. The company specialized in the production of military aircraft, designing highly innovative planes for the Italian Air Force during both World Wars. Some of their most notable planes included the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero, which became Italy's most successful bomber of World War II, and the Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Pipistrello, a popular transport plane.

Savoia-Marchetti also designed and built seaplanes, which were used for commercial transportation. The company produced some of the world's first luxury seaplanes, like the Savoia-Marchetti S.56, which was popular with wealthy travelers in the 1920s and 1930s.

After World War II, Savoia-Marchetti struggled to stay afloat due to the economic downturn and the decline in demand for military aircraft. The company was eventually acquired by legendary car manufacturer Ferrari in the 1960s and became part of the company's diversification into other industries. Today, the Savoia-Marchetti brand is owned by a company called Marchetti Aircraft, which continues to produce sport and training planes under the name SIAI-Marchetti.