Albatros Publications

The Ansaldo SVA 9/10 Windsock Datafile #122

by  Gregory Alegi

Reviewed By  Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

MSRP: £10.75 www.windsockdatafilespecials.co.uk Windsock Datafiles are published by Albatros Publications, Ltd., and they are the premier producer of information on the aircraft of World War I. They have well over 100 titles in print, and these are listed on their website. Datafile 122 deals with an airplane that most people, myself included, have probably assumed was a single seat fighter of the World War I period. This is true, but the airplane's history is much more extensive than that, although more than a thousand single and two seat SVA's were produced during 1917 and 1918. The SVA was slightly larger than the standard World War I fighter, and the aircraft was designed for scouting, fighting, and reconnaissance roles, and in all of these it excelled. With maximum speeds in the 140 mph. range, they were difficult for the Austrians to intercept, but they also could be easily converted into two seaters, and it was this role that is examined by the author in this Datafile. The size and performance of the type made for easy conversion to a two seater, and the type was in use for many years after the war, providing a two seater with performance far exceeding other World War I types where were adapted for civilian use. In 1918, the first two seat conversion of the SVA was made, and it was intended as a reconnaissance type. The high speed of the aircraft made it difficult to intercept. The conversion was followed by production models, designated SVA 10, which was armed with a rearward firing Lewis gun. In addition, the two seat trainer variant, designated SVA 9, was being produced for the Italian military. Both aircraft were essentially similar, and many surviving fighter squadrons had some on strength postwar. It is believed that approximately 800 two seat SVA's were produced, both during and after the war. Most were gone by the early thirties, not unlike the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" in the United States. Some SVA's were exported to Poland, the Ukraine, the Soviet Union, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Yemen, and even the United States, but many of those exported to the U.S. were probably resold to other countries. A lot of documentation is lacking concerning foreign use of the SVA two seaters, but apparently the type was fairly common outside of Italy. In addition, several were used for "record breaking" flights during the postwar years. Three of them survive today, along with a reproduction. This book follows the trend set by previous Datafiles. It provides a very complete and readable history of the type in service and postwar, including details of the design, development and service use of the aircraft. The photos are very clear, and completely explained in captions. Credits are even given to the source from which the photos were obtained. Six pages of very high quality drawings are included, along with draconian warnings against reproducing them or using them for kit or decal production. The color photos and drawings are restricted to the front and back cover pages, but they include three excellent color profiles, two pages of color photos of a restored SVA, and a cover painting of an operational SVA during a famous wartime mission. If you are interested in World War I or "between the wars" aviation, this book is a "must have". At £10.75, it is definitely worth the cost. Now, if somebody comes out with a kit of this aircraft….. Thanks to Albatros Publications and John Noack for the review copy.

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