Country of origin:

Italy

Description:

Long-range military patrol flying boat

Power Plant:

One 336 kw (450 hp) Lorraine Dietrich 12Db 12-cylinder, VEE, liquid-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The S.16 was a flying-boat built in Italy by the Societa Idrovolanti Alti Italia (SIAI) for operations of civil passenger carrying and was powered by a Fiat A.12bis engine.  It was designed by Rafaele Conflenti and made its first flight in 1919. It received some development to make it suitable for military use.  The latter machine had a machine gun fitted in the bow cockpit for an observer/gunner and racks were fitted under the wings for bombs.  Examples were exported to Brazil, the Soviet Union, Spain and Turkey.

Variants included the S.16, first production model for airline use; the S.16bis being an improved civilian variant with a reinforced hull, and an increased fuel capacity; the S.16bis M of which 80 were supplied to the Soviet Union, with some built under licence in Spain; the S.16ter an improved military model for the Italian Navy; and the S.23, a simplified variant for training, of which one example was completed.  The aircraft was of wooden construction, the biplane wings being covered with fabric.

On 31 May 1925 a Savoia Marchetti S.16ter (c/n 5247-25340) named Gennariello flown by Vice Commandante di Stormo Marquis Francesco de Pinedo with mechanic Ernesto Campanelli arrived in Broome, WA after a flight from Sisto Caleinde in northern Italy, travelling via Brindisi in Italy, Leros in Greece, Alexandretta in Turkey, Baghdad in Iraq, Bushire, Bandar Abbas and Chahbar in Persia, Karachi in Pakistan, Bombay, Rajahmundry and Calcutta in India, Akjab, Rangoon, Tavoy and Mergui in Burma, Puket in Siam, Penang in Malaya, Singapore Island, Batavia, Surabaja and Bima in the Dutch East Indies, and Koepang in Timor.

This was the first non-British aircraft, the first flying boat, and the third aircraft to fly into Australia from overseas, the predecessors being the Vickers Vimy G-EAOU on 10 December 1919, and Ray Parer’s de Havilland DH.9 G-EAQM on 2 August 1920.  The aircraft received some modifications for the journey, including space in the fuselage being converted to carry a compact portable workshop, spare equipment and survival equipment.  The aircraft, powered by a 336 kw (450 hp) Lorraine Dietrich engine, had left Sesto Calende in Italy on 20 April 1925 to fly to the Far East and Australia.

After leaving Broome the aircraft flew along the West Australian coastline to Perth, and then followed the coast reaching Melbourne, VIC on 9 June 1925.  In Melbourne over a period of five weeks it was completely overhauled at RAAF Point Cook during the course of which RAAF badges were applied on both sides of the hull ahead of the cockpit, including the legend ”Pt Cook Melbourne” on each side of the hull.  These were still present when the aircraft was located by RAAF groundcrew in 1944 in Italy where it had been abandoned.

Whilst in Sydney, NSW a number of flights were made out of Farm Cove and Rose Bay, the crew being given a civic reception at Sydney Town Hall. One flight was made at the instigation of the Italian Consul on 23 July, 1925 leaving Farm Cove and flying out to see and meet the US Naval Squadron, consisting of a number of Battleships, which was sailing into Sydney Harbour.  De Pinedo later spent some time with Lawrence Wackett and aviators from the US Naval Squadron, these warships carrying seaplanes for reconnaissance.

The aircraft finally left Sydney on 6 August 1925 and it eventually left Australia, proceeding through Queensland via Brisbane, Rockhampton, Townsville, Innisfail, Cooktown and Thursday Island.  It then flew to Merauke in Dutch New Guinea, Dobo in the Aru Islands, Amboina and Manado in the Moluccas, Zamboanga, Cebu, Atimon, Manilla and Aparri in the Philippines, Tam-sui near Formosa, Shanghai in China, Mokpo in Korea, and Kagoshima, Kushimoto, Kasimigaura and Tokyo in Japan where it arrived on 26 September.

Three weeks were spent in Japan and it then flew on to Italy, proceeding via Kagoshima in Japan, Shanghai and Amoy in China, Hong Kong, Haiphong, Tourane and Saigon in Indo China, Bangkok in Siam, Rangoon and Akjab in Burma, and arrived in Calcutta in India on 28 October.  It was then flown across northern India using flooded rivers, along the Ganges to Benares, the Jumna to Delhi, across the desert to Bahawalpur and on to Karachi.  Calls were made at Gwadar in India, Bandar Abbas and Bushire in Persia, Baghdad in Iraq, Alexandretta in Turkey and Leros in Greece. arriving at Taranto in Italy on 5 November.  It arrived in Rome on 7 November 1925 where a reception was attended after landing on the Tiber River.  The section of the trip from Japan to Italy took 22 days and a distance of 18,507 km (11,500 miles) was covered.

Total distance was approximately 53,912 km (33,500 miles), covered in 360 flying hours over a period of six months and three weeks.  This was the first international flight to Australia that returned safely to its country of origin.  This aircraft, named Gennariello, survived until World War II and was located at an aerodrome near Rome in Italy in 1944, as noted above, still carrying Australian flags painted on the fuselage.

De Pinedo went on to further prominence with two other aviation projects: the first between 13 February and 16 June 1927 when he flew a Savoia Marchetti S.55 flying boat named Santa Maria 46,959 km (29,180 miles) across two oceans and three continents, making an inland tour of South and North America until the aircraft was destroyed by fire.  In a second S.55, named Santa Maria II, which was shipped to New York, he continued his tour of North America and flew via the North Atlantic back to Rome.  On 2 September 1933 he attempted to take-off from New York in a Bellanca monoplane for a non-stop flight over the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea to Baghdad in Iraq but the overloaded aircraft crashed into a fence and was destroyed by fire.