IMAM Ro.63

infobox Aircraft
name = Ro.63
type = Reconnaissance
manufacturer = Industrie Meccaniche e Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM)


caption =
designer = Giovanni Galasso
first flight = June 1940
introduction =
retired =
status =
primary user = Regia Aeronautica
more users =
produced =
number built = 6
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The IMAM Ro.63 was an Italian STOL aircraft designed for short-range reconnaissance and light transport during World War II.

Development and design

Interest in a STOL aircraft was raised by the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch acquired from Germany, and in June 1939 the Regia Aeronautica asked Italian aircraft companies to design a similar machine (see below).

The IMAM Ro.63 was of mixed construction with wood, fabric and metal used for the fuselage and wings. It first flew in June 1940, just at the outbreak of World War II. It was put into competition with another Italian aircraft, but clearly proved superior.

It had STOL capabilities similar to the Fi.156, but the larger fuselage held up to four people, and the wings held more fuel. The 280 hp Hirth engine and constant speed propeller helped to give it a maximum speed of 240 km/h and almost 1,000 km endurance. However there was no defensive armament, as the Fi 156 had from the C version onwards.

The aircraft, designed by Giovanni Galasso, and tested by Aldo Ligabò, could have been a success, but although 150 were ordered, only six were produced from mid-1940 to 1941, because of the shortage of available engines, as German engines were no longer available, and the Italian engine industry failed to produce enough Isotta-Fraschini 'Beta' units.

The Ro.63 was a viable machine that was not put into production in significant numbers (practically only a pre-series production) despite the fact that development was completed pre-war. They were doomed by lack of Italian-built engines. The performance was better than the Fi 156, with a superior speed and endurance, and only slightly inferior STOL capabilities. This was due to the more powerful engine and the two-speed propeller.

Operational service

The aircraft was deployed in the North African Campaign, together with 30 Fieseler Fi 156 imported from Germany, even though this was insufficient to replace the IMAM Ro.37 and older reconnaissance aircraft. By 1943, after two years hard service, only one Ro.37 survived.

In 1948 it was proposed to resume production, but lack of capacity and data about the aircraft meant that the project was eventually abandoned.

pecifications (Ro.63)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=
crew=1
capacity=3 passengers
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 8.7 m
length alt= 28 ft 6 in
span main= 13.5 m
span alt= 44 ft 4 in
height main= 3.1 m
height alt= 10 ft 2 in
area main= 26.5 m²
area alt= 285.1 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,060 kg
empty weight alt= 2,332 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 1,485 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 3,267 lb
more general=
engine (prop)= Hirth HM 508D
type of prop=air-cooled inverted V8 engine
number of props=1
power main= 209 kW
power alt= 280 hp
power original=
max speed main= 220 km/h
max speed alt= 120 knots, 137 mph
cruise speed main= 55 km/h
cruise speed alt= 30 knots, 34 mph
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 360 km
range alt= 195 nm, 224 mi
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
* Endurance: 900 km (486 nm, 560 mi)
armament=
* None
avionics=

Other STOL aircraft

The AVIS C.4 should have been the winner of the contest, as originally it was meant for the industries involved, but despite being capable 240 km/h, it had poor flying performance.

Its characteristics were:

*Length: 8.7 m
*Wingspan: 13.96 m
*Height: 3 m
*Wing surface: 28 m²
*Speed: 240 km/h, min 60
*Endurance: 800 km, 360 range
*Weights: 836 kg/1,329 kg
*Engine: 1 Hirth HM.508D, Convert|280|hp|kW|0|abbr=on

The low wing was not satisfactory for an observation aircraft, despite the generous flaps, which gave good STOL capabilities. First flown in June 1940, a year later it was sent to Guidonia where it performed poorly in evaluation. This was "MM.11586", the only example produced, as the initial batch of six was never completed.

Another project was the Caproni GDL, also never completed, even as prototype. It should have been capable of 315 km range, 800 km endurance, and its dimensions were 13.8 m wingspan, 10.35 m length, 4.03 m height, 21 m² wing area, with empty weight of 730 kg and fully loaded of 1,010 kg. The engine was the same Hirth HM.508D as the others.

References

* Lembo, Daniele "Officine Meccaniche Meridionali", Aerei nella storia magazione, Delta editions, Parma, Oct-Nov 2003 it icon
* [http://www.enricopezzi.it/aerei_r.htm enricopezzi.it] it icon

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
* Fieseler Fi 156
* Taylorcraft L-2
* Westland Lysander

sequence=

lists=
* List of aircraft of Italy, World War II

see also=