Italy pursued an indigenous dive-bomber design in the one-off Savoia-Marchetti SM.93. Its pilot lay prone above and behind the engine, a position intended to improve tolerance of the forces experienced during dive bombing. The arrangement created severe practical drawbacks, including discomfort and poor rearward visibility, while the rear gunner sat conventionally behind the pilot. German testing did not lead to production, and only one prototype was built. Several countries experimented with prone flying, but none put the idea into service. The SM.93 shows how an aerodynamic or physiological idea that looked attractive on paper could fail in operational use.
Notable Point · 49:44-51:21
The prone-pilot SM.93 dive-bomber experiment
A bonus design case examines Italy's SM.93 dive bomber, whose prone pilot position promised g-force tolerance at the cost of visibility and comfort.