By mid-1943, the Italian Air Force was in deep need for a dive bomber. To meet this need, the designers of Savoia-Marchetti, led by Alessandro Marchetti, started the SM project 93. It was supposed to be a replacement for the German Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka".
The SM. 93 was a low-wing aircraft with a retractable landing gear. Made entirely of wood and canvas-affected by the lack of duralumin. The Daimler-Benz DB 605A engine could reach speeds of up to 580 km / h. The flight range was 1,600 km. Armament — 1 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, 3 × 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun and 1451 kg of bombs. The crew consisted of 2 people, and the pilot did not sit, but lay on an inclined bed facing forward.
After the first flight, the plane was commandeered by the Germans. The tests continued, but the Allied offensive did not allow them to end. Despite the good flight characteristics, the SM. 93 was built in 1 sample only.
