IMAM Ro.57

IMAM

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1930s
Headquarters	Italy

File:Italian IMAM Ro.57 fighter prototype rear quarter view.jpg

Rear three-quarter view of the first Ro.57 prototype, MM-407.

File:Italian IMAM Ro.57 bis fighter front quarter view.jpg

Ro.57bis variant

File:Italian IMAM Ro.57 bis fighter front view.jpg

Front view of the Ro.57bis

File:Italian IMAM Ro.57 bis fighter in flight.jpg

Ro.57bis in flight

The IMAM Ro.57 was a single-seat, twin-engine monoplane fighter developed for the Regia Aeronautica of Italy. Conceived by Giovanni Galasso in 1939, its production did not commence until 1943.

Although an initial order for 200 units was placed, only between 50 and 75 were manufactured across two main variants: one designed as an interceptor, and the other adapted for ground attack missions.

Design and development

The Ro.57 followed an earlier twin-engine fighter project, the Ro.53, which never reached mass production. Featuring an all-metal construction, its semi-monocoque fuselage incorporated a steel frame combined with a Duralumin skin, while its wings were also fabricated from Duralumin. Powered by two 840 horsepower (630 kW) Fiat A.74 radial engines, it achieved a top speed of 516 km/h—surpassing the speed of Italy’s primary fighter at the time, the Macchi C.200, which reached 504 km/h.

Following evaluation flights at Guidonia, IMAM proposed adapting the aircraft as a dive bomber. This modification included installing dive brakes and equipping it to carry up to 500 kg of bombs, which delayed its production timeline. The modified version was designated the Ro.57bis. However, these changes reduced its maximum velocity to 466 km/h and its cruising speed to 350 km/h. Production of the Ro.57bis began in 1942, with operational deployment starting in 1943 within the 97° Gruppo unit, delivering approximately 50 to 60 examples.

It has been suggested that the Ro.57 could have fulfilled Italy’s need for a long-range interceptor during World War II; nevertheless, it was considered too expensive relative to its limited armament and never received a clearly defined operational role. A subsequent improved model featuring enhanced weaponry and more powerful engines was developed as the Ro.58.

Variants

Ro.57

A single-seat fighter powered by Fiat A.74 radial engines, armed with two 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns.

Ro.57bis

This dive bomber version was equipped with dive brakes and initially featured only one 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun on the first 40 units produced, which was later increased to two. It included a bomb crutch capable of carrying up to 2,205 lb (1,000 kg) beneath the fuselage and two wing hardpoints for bombs weighing up to 353 lb (160 kg) each.

Ro.57bis "Quadriarma"

Only one aircraft (MM.75315) was outfitted with what became the final armament configuration, consisting of two 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns alongside two 20 mm autocannons.

Operators

Template:Country data Kingdom of ItalyTemplate:Namespace detect showall Kingdom of Italy

• Regia Aeronautica

Further reading

• Lembo, Daniele Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali IMAM, Aerei nella Storia magazine no. 34, November 2003, Delta editions, Parma. (in Italian)

External links

• Comando Supremo: IMAM Ro.57
• IMAM Ro.57 (in Russian)
• Italian Aircraft 1939–45