IMAM Ro.63

Ro.63
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Role	Reconnaissance
Manufacturer	Industrie Meccaniche e Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM)
Designer	Giovanni Galasso
First flight	June 1940
Primary user	Regia Aeronautica
Number built	6

File:Italian IMAM Ro.63 reconnaissance and light military transport aircraft left front view.jpg

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File:Italian IMAM Ro.63 reconnaissance and light military transport aircraft front view.jpg

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File:Italian IMAM Ro.63 reconnaissance and light military transport aircraft side view.jpg

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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 (149 mph) and almost 1,000 km (621 mi) 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.63 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.

Other STOL aircraft

Other STOL aircraft in the same competitionas the Ro.63 included the AVIS C.4 and Caproni GDL. The Avis C.4 had a good performance but suffered from poor flying characteristics. The Caproni GDL, was not completed.

Operators

Kingdom of Italy

• Regia Aeronautica

Specifications (Ro.63)

Data from Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930-1945

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 1 - 2
• Length: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
• Wingspan:
• Height:
• Gross weight: 1,058 kg (2,332 lb)
• Max takeoff weight:
• Powerplant: 1 × Hirth HM 508D inverted V-8 air-cooled piston engine, 190 kW (250 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 203 km/h; 109 kn (126 mph)
• Range: 901 km; 487 nmi (560 mi)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• AVIS C.4
• Fieseler Fi 156
• Kobeseiko Te-Gō
• Kokusai Ki-76
• Taylorcraft L-2
• Westland Lysander

Related lists

• List of aircraft of Italy, World War II

References

• Lembo, Daniele Officine Meccaniche Meridionali, Aerei nella storia magazione, Delta editions, Parma, Oct-Nov 2003 (Italian)
• enricopezzi.it (Italian)