The Aerodrome Forum - View Single Post - Questions on Italian aircraft manufacturers

Aquilius · 12 February 2009, 12:30 PM

I'm puzzeled a while by trying to figure out the story about aircraft manufacturers from Italy.
There is very little to find in the web and I'm confused by a few of the designations I found.

Here are the companies that are little mysterious to me:

• Pomilio - Società Anonima per Costruzioni Aeronautiche Ing. Ottorino Pomilio & Co.
Foundet 1916 in Torino
Ottorino and his brother Alessandro went to the USA in summer 1918. The company was sold then, but to whom? To Ansaldo? Savoia? Or Fiat? (found notes about all of them)

• Savoia - Società Anonima Construzioni Aeronautiche Savoia
Foundet 1913 by Umberto Savoia.
The company was taken over by SIAI in 1920 and became SIAI-Savoia, eventually named SIAI-Marchetti / Savoia-Marchetti after designer Alessandro Marchetti joined the firm in 1922. Today it belongs to Aermacchi.
But was there a merger with Pomilio once? Or why do I find designations of Savoia-Pomilio aircraft sometimes?

• SIA - Società Italiana degli Aeroplani
Foundet 1913 in Milano (also found a name “Società Italiana Aviazone”)
This company built aircrafts designated S.P. 1, S.P. 2, ... (what does this stand for? Is it what I think?)
I have nearly nothing about this company. Did it create a subsidary in Torino 1916?
And may it be that SIA was purchased by Fiat finally?

• SIAI - Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia
Foundet 1915 also in Milano
Here I know it remained seperate throughout the war and it became SIAI-Savoia in 1920.

• Ansaldo - Gio. Ansaldo & Co.
Obviously the best known company apart from Caproni.
But what made Umberto Savoia together with Rodolfo Verduzio to design the S.V.A. Series aircraft for Ansaldo while the Savoia company, that existed until 1920, did not issue any/many/some little noticed aircraft?

And finally
• Fiat

It seems all aircraft companies mentioned above are connected to each other. And if not you find a connection to Fiat with all of them. (Not only because Fiat was the major engine supplier) What role did Fiat play in the wartime? Was it the head of all/most companies from 1916 on?
You can find the designation “Fiat/Savoia-Pomilio” i.e. The first time in 1913 when Italy purchased the licence to built the Farman “Shorthorn”. (Am I right that all of them [Fiat; Savoia & Pomilio] built it? Or it just has been a Fiat-engined Savoia or Pomilio then?)

Would be great if you could help me to unravel this knot.

Cheers

Aquilius

12 February 2009, 12:30 PM	#1
Aquilius Forum Ace Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Thuringia Posts: 2,179	Questions on Italian aircraft manufacturers I'm puzzeled a while by trying to figure out the story about aircraft manufacturers from Italy. There is very little to find in the web and I'm confused by a few of the designations I found. Here are the companies that are little mysterious to me: • Pomilio - Società Anonima per Costruzioni Aeronautiche Ing. Ottorino Pomilio & Co. Foundet 1916 in Torino Ottorino and his brother Alessandro went to the USA in summer 1918. The company was sold then, but to whom? To Ansaldo? Savoia? Or Fiat? (found notes about all of them) • Savoia - Società Anonima Construzioni Aeronautiche Savoia Foundet 1913 by Umberto Savoia. The company was taken over by SIAI in 1920 and became SIAI-Savoia, eventually named SIAI-Marchetti / Savoia-Marchetti after designer Alessandro Marchetti joined the firm in 1922. Today it belongs to Aermacchi. But was there a merger with Pomilio once? Or why do I find designations of Savoia-Pomilio aircraft sometimes? • SIA - Società Italiana degli Aeroplani Foundet 1913 in Milano (also found a name “Società Italiana Aviazone”) This company built aircrafts designated S.P. 1, S.P. 2, ... (what does this stand for? Is it what I think?) I have nearly nothing about this company. Did it create a subsidary in Torino 1916? And may it be that SIA was purchased by Fiat finally? • SIAI - Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia Foundet 1915 also in Milano Here I know it remained seperate throughout the war and it became SIAI-Savoia in 1920. • Ansaldo - Gio. Ansaldo & Co. Obviously the best known company apart from Caproni. But what made Umberto Savoia together with Rodolfo Verduzio to design the S.V.A. Series aircraft for Ansaldo while the Savoia company, that existed until 1920, did not issue any/many/some little noticed aircraft? And finally • Fiat It seems all aircraft companies mentioned above are connected to each other. And if not you find a connection to Fiat with all of them. (Not only because Fiat was the major engine supplier) What role did Fiat play in the wartime? Was it the head of all/most companies from 1916 on? You can find the designation “Fiat/Savoia-Pomilio” i.e. The first time in 1913 when Italy purchased the licence to built the Farman “Shorthorn”. (Am I right that all of them [Fiat; Savoia & Pomilio] built it? Or it just has been a Fiat-engined Savoia or Pomilio then?) Would be great if you could help me to unravel this knot. Cheers Aquilius