The IMAM Ro.57 was an Italian twin-engined, single-seat monoplane fighter of the Regia Aeronautica. Based on a 1939 design by Giovanni Galasso the aircraft did not enter production until 1943.
Italian fighter/attack aircraft
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Two hundred aircraft were ordered, but only 50–75 were produced in two versions, one flown as an interceptor, the other in the role of a ground attack aircraft.[2]
Design and development
The Ro.57 was preceded by another twin engine fighter design, the Ro.53, which never entered production. The Ro.57 consisted of an all-metal, semi-monocoquefuselage with a steel skeleton and Duralumin structure. The wings were also Duralumin. It was powered by two 840hp (630kW)Fiat A.74 radial engines giving a maximum speed of 516km/h, which in 1939 was faster than that of the main Italian fighter, the Macchi C.200 (504km/h).
After testing at Guidonia it was proposed by IMAM for use as a dive bomber. This transformation, which involved the addition of dive brakes, provision for 500kg bombs and an improved forward firing armament (adding two 20mm cannon),[3] took time and delayed production. The resulting aircraft was designated the Ro.57bis. Performance dropped to 457km/h maximum speed and to 350km/h at cruise speed. The Ro.57bis was ordered into production in 1942 and entered service with the 97° Gruppo in 1943. About 50–60 aircraft were delivered.[4]
It is said that the Ro.57 could have been the long range interceptor that Italy lacked throughout the war. It proved to be too costly for the limited weapons it carried and it never was assigned a clear role[citation needed]. A better-armed version with more powerful engines was developed as the Ro.58.
The dive bombing variant fitted with dive brakes, two 20 mm cannon in addition to the 12.7 mm guns and a crutch for bombs up to 1,102lb (500kg) under the fuselage
Operators
Kingdom of Italy
Regia Aeronautica
Specifications (Ro.57)
Data from Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters Volume 2 [3]
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 8.8m (28ft 10in)
Wingspan: 12.5m (41ft 0in)
Height: 2.9m (9ft 6in)
Wing area: 23m2 (250sqft)
Aspect ratio: 6.79
Empty weight: 3,497kg (7,710lb)
Gross weight: 5,000kg (11,023lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Fiat A.74 R.C.38 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 627kW (841hp) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 501km/h (311mph, 271kn) at 5,000m (16,404ft)
Angelucci, Enzo (2001). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft 1914 to the Present. Edison, NJ: Chartwell books. pp.232–233. ISBN0-7858-1359-4.
Green, William (1961). Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters Volume 2. London: Macdonald. pp.153–154.
Green, W; Swanborough, G (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Smithmark. ISBN0-8317-3939-8.
Further reading
Lembo, Daniele Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali IMAM, Aerei nella Storia magazine n.34 Nov 2003, Delta editions, Parma. (in Italian)
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to IMAM Ro.57.
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