AFV Club SE73512 1/350 Italian SS Leonardo Da Vinci ex-USN GUPPY 1B Submarine

Model Kit

Represent a fascinating chapter of Cold War naval history with this highly detailed 1/350 scale model of the Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci (S 510), a former U.S. Navy GUPPY IB submarine transferred to the Italian Navy under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. Originally built as a Balao-class submarine during World War II, the vessel underwent the Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) modernization, receiving a streamlined hull, improved batteries, upgraded sonar, and snorkeling equipment that greatly enhanced its underwater performance. Commissioned into the Italian Navy in the 1970s as Leonardo da Vinci, the submarine became an important training and operational asset during the Cold War, symbolizing the continued effectiveness of the GUPPY conversions long after World War II had ended.