IMAM Ro.57

infobox Aircraft
name = Ro.57
type = Fighter/Dive bomber
manufacturer = Industrie Meccaniche e Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM)


caption =
designer = Giovanni Galasso
first flight =
introduced = 1943
retired =
number built = 50-75
status =
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =
primary user = Regia Aeronautica
more users =

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. By the time it entered service it was considered obsolete.

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. [cite book |last= Angelucci|first= Enzo |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft 1914 to the Present |year= 2001 |publisher= Chartwell books |location= Edison, NJ |pages= 232-233 |isbn= 0-7858-1359-4 ]

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-monocoque fuselage with a steel skeleton and Duralumin structure. The wings were also Duralumin.

Powered by two 840 hp Fiat A.74 radial engines giving a maximum speed of 516 km/h, which in 1939 was better than that of the main Italian fighter, the Macchi C.200 (504 km/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 500 kg bombs and an improved forward firing armament (adding two 20 mm cannon), took time and delayed production. The resulting aircraft was designated the Ro.57bis. Performance dropped to 457 km/h maximum speed and to 350 km/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.cite book |last= Green|first= W |coauthors=Swanborough, G |title= The Complete Book of Fighters |edition= |year= 1994|publisher= Smithmark |isbn= 0-8317-3939-8] It is said that the Ro.57 could had 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 roleFact|date=November 2007.

Ro.58 prototype

First flown in May of 1942, the Ro.58 was considered a general improvement over the Ro.57, mainly due to the substitution of higher horsepower DB 601 engines for the Fiats. Initially it had many problems and during the flight only the proficiency of the test pilot, Adriano Mantelli, saved the planeFact|date=November 2007.

It was easily recognizable because it appeared to have a long hump over the fuselage (to accommodate two crew members as opposed to one in the Ro.57). The Ro.58 was a twin-tailed aircraft, in appearance similar to the Bf 110.

The performance of the aircraft with the DB 601 engines was much better than even many single engine fighters of the time (605 km/h at 5,000 m, 1,500 km endurance, 10,500 ceiling).

More heavily armed than its predecessor, with five forward-firing MG 151s; three in the nose and two under the belly (the underbelly guns were not present during the first flight tests) and one 12.7 mm rear-facing Breda-SAFAT machine gun.

Tested alongside an Me 410 it was found to be superior Fact|date=November 2007, but even so it initially had its share of problems that delayed production. By the time it was refined it was too late for Italy, and there were no resources even for single-engine fighters, much less the more expensive twin-engined ones.

As the Ro.57 was not put into production in 1940 or 1941 when it was first considered possible, the Ro.58, better armed and faster appeared only when it was too late, and Italy was for the most part out of the warFact|date=November 2007.

Variants

;Ro.57 :Single seat fighter with Fiat A.74 radial engines, and two 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns;Ro.57bis:Single seat dive bomber version, fitted with two additional 20 mm cannon;Ro.58:Two-seat aircraft, fitted with DB 601 engines, upgunned with five forward MG 151 cannon and a rear 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun

Operators

*
** Regia Aeronautica

pecifications (Ro.57)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref= Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters Volume 2 cite book |last= Green|first=William |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters Volume 2 |year= 1961 |publisher=Macdonald |location=London| pages=p. 153-154|isbn= ]
crew=One
capacity=
length main= 8.80 m
length alt= 28 ft 10½ in
span main= 12.50 m
span alt= 41 ft 0 in
height main= 2.90 m
height alt= 9 ft 6⅛ in
area main= 23.0 m²
area alt= 248 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 3,497 kg
empty weight alt= 7,694 lb
loaded weight main= 5,000 kg
loaded weight alt= 11,000 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Fiat A.74 R.C.38
type of prop=14-cylinder air-cooled radial engines
number of props=2
power main= 627 kW
power alt= 840 hp
power original=
max speed main= 501 km/h
max speed alt= 270 kts, 311 mph
max speed more= at 5,000 m (16,400 ft)
cruise speed main= 390 km/h
cruise speed alt= 210 kts, 242 mph
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 1,200 km
range alt= 648 nm, 745 mi
ceiling main= 7,800 m
ceiling alt= 25,590 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 217 kg/m²
loading alt= 44.4 lb/ft²
power/mass main= 0.25 kW/kg
power/mass alt= 0.15 hp/lb
more performance=
*Climb to 6,000 m (19,700 ft): 9 min 30 sec
armament=
*2 × 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns
avionics=

References

*Lembo, Daniele "Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali IMAM", Aerei nella Storia magazine n.34 Nov 2003, Delta editions, Parma. it icon

External links

* [http://www.comandosupremo.com/Ro57.html Commando Supremo: IMAM Ro.57]
* [http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fww2/ro57.html IMAM Ro.57] ru icon
* [http://www.geocities.com/Lucktam/italian.htm#IMAM Italian Aircraft 1939-45]

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
* Westland Whirlwind

sequence=

lists=
* List of aircraft of Italy, World War II
* List of fighter aircraft
see also=