Romeo Ro.35
| Industry | Aeronautics |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1930s |
| Headquarters | Naples , Italy |
| Products | Aircraft, including the Romeo Ro.35 glider |
The Romeo Ro.35, also known as the IMAM Ro.35, was a single-seat glider developed in Italy in 1933.
Design and development
Nicola Romeo, a prominent industrialist of the early 20th century chiefly recognized for the Alfa-Romeo brand, oversaw aircraft production in the early 1930s through Meridionali / IMAM - Industrie Meccaniche e Aeronautiche Meridonali, the aeronautical division of Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali (translated as Railway Workshops Meridionali) based in Naples. The Ro.35 itself was manufactured by Officine Mecchaniche Romeo (Mechanical Workshops Romeo).
The Ro.35 was designed as a cantilever high-wing monoplane, featuring a wing mounted atop the fuselage without any dihedral angle. The wing comprised a single-piece structure centered on one main spar, with plywood skinning ahead of the spar that formed a torsion-resistant D-box, while the remainder of the wing was covered with fabric. Its planform was straight-tapered with smoothly rounded tips.
Constructed with a wooden framework, the fuselage had a straightforward rectangular cross-section, covered with plywood at the front and fabric towards the rear. The nose sides curved inward but the upper and lower surfaces remained apart, resulting in a square-profiled nose from the side view. The open cockpit was integrated into the wing's leading edge and included a small windscreen for pilot protection. The rear fuselage tapered towards the tail assembly, where a short, narrow vertical fin supported a tall, highly curved rudder. The horizontal tailplane was mounted on the fuselage at the base of the fin; it was narrow and straight-tapered with rounded tips, along with its elevators. Both horizontal surfaces were fabric-covered, and all control surfaces were unbalanced. The rudder’s curved lower edge provided clearance for elevator movement.
A distinctive feature of this glider was its optional fixed undercarriage with a narrow track wheeled assembly, consisting of a steel axle passing through the lower fuselage; this could be replaced by a more traditional skid if preferred. Additionally, a small tail skid was fitted for use regardless of undercarriage configuration.
The sole Ro.35 took to the air for its maiden flight in 1933 and was subsequently operated by the Naples gliding club from Capodichino. It also made appearances at Poggio Renatico near Bologna.
Specifications
References
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