IMAM Ro.63

{{Infobox aircraft

|name = Ro.63

|image = IMAM Ro.63 right front view.jpg

|caption =

|type = Reconnaissance

|manufacturer = Industrie Meccaniche e Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM)

|designer = Giovanni Galasso

|first_flight = June 1940

|introduction =

|retired =

|status =

|primary_user = Regia Aeronautica

|more_users =

|produced =

|number_built = 6

|developed_from =

|variants =

}}

The IMAM Ro.63 was an Italian STOL aircraft designed for short-range reconnaissance and light transport during World War II.

thumb

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 {{cvt|250|hp|order=flip}} Hirth HM 508 engine and constant speed propeller helped to give it a maximum speed of {{convert|240|km/h|0|abbr=on}} and almost {{convert|1000|km|0|abbr=on}} range. 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, due to the shortage of available engines, the Italian engine industry having failed to produce enough suitable Isotta Fraschini Beta engines.

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

thumb

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 competition as 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. {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} The Caproni GDL, was not completed.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}

Operators

;{{flag|Kingdom of Italy}}

Regia Aeronautica

Specifications (Ro.63)

thumb

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930–1945 {{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Jonathan W.|title=Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930–1945|publisher=Aero Publishers Inc.|location=New York|year=1963|edition=1st|isbn=0-8168-6500-0}}

|prime units?=met

|genhide=

|crew=1

|capacity=1–2

|length m=

|length ft=31

|length in=6

|length note=

|span m=

|span ft=44

|span in=3+1/2

|span note=

|upper span m=

|upper span ft=

|upper span in=

|upper span note=

|mid span m=

|mid span ft=

|mid span in=

|mid span note=

|lower span m=

|lower span ft=

|lower span in=

|lower span note=

|swept m=

|swept ft=

|swept in=

|swept note=

|dia m=

|dia ft=

|dia in=

|dia note=

|width m=

|width ft=

|width in=

|width note=

|height m=

|height ft=7

|height in=8+2/3

|height note=

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=

|wing area note=

|swept area sqm=

|swept area sqft=

|swept area note=

|volume m3=

|volume ft3=

|volume note=

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=2332

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight lb=3267

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|lift kg=

|lift lb=

|lift note=

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Hirth HM 508D

|eng1 type=inverted V-8 air-cooled piston engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=250

|eng1 shp=

|eng1 kn=

|eng1 lbf=

|eng1 note=

|power original=

|thrust original=

|eng1 kn-ab=

|eng1 lbf-ab=

|eng2 number=

|eng2 name=

|eng2 type=

|eng2 kw=

|eng2 hp=

|eng2 shp=

|eng2 kn=

|eng2 lbf=

|eng2 note=

|eng2 kn-ab=

|eng2 lbf-ab=

|eng3 number=

|eng3 name=

|eng3 type=

|eng3 kw=

|eng3 hp=

|eng3 shp=

|eng3 kn=

|eng3 lbf=

|eng3 note=

|eng3 kn-ab=

|eng3 lbf-ab=

|more power=

|prop blade number=

|prop name=

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=

|rot number=

|rot dia m=

|rot dia ft=

|rot dia in=

|rot area sqm=

|rot area sqft=

|rot area note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=126

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=

|max speed mach=

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=

|cruise speed kts=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|minimum control speed kmh=

|minimum control speed mph=

|minimum control speed kts=

|minimum control speed note=

|range km=

|range miles=560

|range nmi=

|range note=

|combat range km=

|combat range miles=

|combat range nmi=

|combat range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range nmi=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|glide ratio=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|sink rate ms=

|sink rate ftmin=

|sink rate note=

|lift to drag=

|wing loading kg/m2=

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|disk loading kg/m2=

|disk loading lb/sqft=

|disk loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

|power/mass=

|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|armament=

|guns=

|bombs=

|rockets=

|missiles=

|hardpoints=

|hardpoint capacity=

|hardpoint rockets=

|hardpoint missiles=

|hardpoint bombs=

|hardpoint other=

|avionics=

}}

References

Lembo, Daniele Officine Meccaniche Meridionali, Aerei nella storia magazione, Delta editions, Parma, Oct–Nov 2003 {{in lang|it}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070912032711/http://www.enricopezzi.it/aerei_r.htm enricopezzi.it] {{in lang|it}}
{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Jonathan W.|title=Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930–1945|publisher=Aero Publishers Inc.|location=New York|year=1963|edition=1st|isbn=0-8168-6500-0}}