IMAM Ro.37

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Ro.37
Type Reconnaissance
Manufacturer Meridionali
Maiden flight 1933
Primary user Regia Aeronautica

The Meridionali Ro.37 Lince (Italian: "Lynx") was a two-seat Italian reconnaissance biplane, a product of the Industrie Meccaniche Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM) company. It followed the Ro.1 as the main reconnaissance aircraft for the Italian army.

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[edit] Ro.1

The Ro.1, an Italian-built version of the Fokker CV.E, was a satisfactory aircraft, with a long range and good endurance. It was used by the Aviation Corps of the Regio Esercito (Italian Army) as an observation and ground attack aircraft. Well-liked in the civilian market, it was selected for use by Air Marshal Italo Balbo, as superior to the Breda A.7 and Ansaldo A.120. It entered service in 1927, in Libya against the local rebels. At that time (1928) there were around 500 aircraft in service with Regio Esercito squadrons, and most of them were the Ansaldo A.300, a multi-role aircraft with 300 hp, 3½ hours endurance and 190 km/h. It was used both for reconnaissance and light attack. It was convertible as a three-seat machine, or as a light attack aircraft (two machine-guns), or as a very long range aircraft with an auxiliary fuel tank that increased the endurance from five to twelve hours. The last version had a 550 hp engine instead of 430 hp and produced until 1934, a total of 456, but it was outdated and too slow for the standards of the mid-1930s. Although this was only an army observation aircraft, it still had a quite powerful engine and performance. In 1933 there were forty squadrons, of seven machines each, related to the Italian Army, with 238 Ro.1s as the main aircraft force. It was the most numerous Italian aircraft in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.

[edit] Ro.37 Lynx

A contest was held by the Regia Aeronautica for a light reconnaissance aircraft and another, heavier, aeroplane. The first should have 350 km/h maximum speed, five hours endurance, three machine-guns and a bomblets dispenser, armour, and the capability to operate from improvised airfields. The heavier one should have 325 km/h, at least 1,300 km endurance, 7,000 m ceiling, climb to 5,000 in 19 minutes, three crew, five weapons, high wing and other details.

Limited production of the IMAM Ro.30, an improved Ro.1 with a defensive turret and better engine, resulted. It was not chosen for production, being only capable of 200 km/h, five hours endurance, a climb rate of 4,000 m in 20 minutes, and had three weapons. It was rejected by the Regio Esercito.

IMAM (ex-OFM) did not give up after the modest success of the Ro.30 and so designed a new aircraft, the Ro.37 which first flew in 1933.

This was an biplane aircraft of mixed construction, with two seats, and a 560 hp Fiat A.30 inline engine. It reached 300 km/h and perhaps even more with this engine, the same as that of the Fiat CR.32. The Ro.37 had a 7,000 m ceiling, 3,000 m climb in 11 minutes, over 1,200 km endurance, three machine guns (two in the nose and one dorsal), twelve 15 kg bombs, and good agility. It was similar to the Hawker Hind, rather than a light army aircraft, and its performance was similar to the later Westland Lysander, but the contemporary British design was the Hawker Hector.

The Ro.37 was later fitted with the 600 hp Piaggio P.IX radial engine. The better reliability of this engine was considered more desirable and so this was the main version produced.

Engine Length Weight
empty/max		 Speed Climb to 4000 m Ceiling Endurance
A.30 8.62 m 1563 kg / 2425 kg 325 km/h 9 min 15 sec 6,700 m 1,650 km
P.IX 8.57 m 2040 kg / 2425 kg 320 km/h 9 min 30 sec 7,500 m 1,300 km

[edit] Operational service

103 Sqn. was equipped in mid-1935 and swiftly employed in Ethiopia. In December this unit was sent to Somalia, and in time, another four squadrons went to this theatre: 105, 108, 109, and 110 Sqns., a total of ten Ro.37 and forty-one Ro.37Bis, the best reconnaissance attack aircraft of the war, even if 135 Ro.1 were also present.

With the end of operations, in COIN tasks and reinforcement for isolated garrisons, 110 Squadron remained in theatre.

In the meantime, the R.37 also served in the Spanish Civil War, and the first ten went there in the late 1936. Another 26 (possibly 58) went to this theatre and were used for many missions and tasks. They were used as assault aircraft, even though they were unarmoured. The results were satisfactory and some were even used, converted to a single-seat machine, as attack fighters. The two-seat versions were used as heavy fighters, providing protection for S.81 bombers from Republican I-15s.

It is not known if there were any air-to-air victories, but seeing the scarcity of the CR.32, this was often done in the first year of war.

The Ro.37 was generally liked, and the only complaint was that aircraft was prone to damage to the undercarriage and engine faults.

The aircraft was produced until 1939 with a total of 569 (237 + 332bis) produced, and as late as 1940 there were provisions to have 17 Sqn. equipped with this machine. In fact, the Ro.37 continued to be used as reconnaissance aircraft for years, since its replacement the Caproni Ca.311 proved unsatisfactory.

Ro.37 were also quite widely exported (ten to Uruguay, sixteen to Afghanistan, fourteen to Hungary, eight to Austria, and one to Ecuador) and around 280 were in service in 1940, in thirty squadrons equipped with 215 aircraft.

Some were in service up to 1943 and perhaps even later. However they were very vulnerable, but in the war Italy did not have sufficient resources to produce a better observation aircraft, not even the Ro.63 , a superior aircraft, similar to the Storch, but with more endurance.

[edit] Ro.45

The last of the classic biplanes made by IMAM was this machine, an enhanced Ro.37. It was 10.37 m length, 12.32 m wingspan. First flight was in 10 December 1935.

The 820 hp Isotta Fraschini Asso XI RC 40 engine, boosted maximum speed to 350 km/h, ceiling to 8,000 m, endurance to 2,250 km. Destined for long-range reconnaissance and light bombing, it remained a single prototype for unknown reasons: perhaps it was rated too costly or the improvements over the Ro.37 were not enough.

[edit] Variants

Ro.37
Reconnaissance biplane.
Ro 37bis
Improved version.
Ro.43
Regia Marina reconnaissance floatplane.
Ro.44
Regia Marina single-seat fighter floatplane.

[edit] Operators

Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan
Flag of Hungary Hungary
Flag of Italy Italy

[edit] Specifications (Meridionali Ro.37)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 28 ft 1 in (8.56 m)
  • Wingspan: 36 ft 4 in (11.08 m)
  • Height: 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m)
  • Wing area: 337.46 sq ft (31.35 m²)
  • Empty weight: 3,494 lb (1,585 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 5,335 lb (2,420 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1× Piaggio P.IX RC.40, 9-cylinder, air-cooled, radial, piston engine, 560 hp (418 kW)

Performance

Armament

  • Two 7.7mm (0.303in) fixed forward firing Breda-SAFAT machine guns
  • One 7.7mm (0.303in) flexible mount machine gun in rear cockpit
  • 397 lb (180kg) of bombs on underfuselage racks

[edit] References

  • Gunston, Bill (2001), The Illustrated Directory of Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Salamander, ISBN 1 84065 092 3
  • Marcon, Tullio L'aviazione per il regio esercito Storia Militare magazine July 1995. (Italian)
  • Mondey, David (1984), The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II, Chancellor Press, ISBN 1 85152 966 7

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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