IMAM Ro.30

The IMAM Ro.30 was a two‑seat, low‑wing trainer and liaison aircraft built in Italy during the early 1930s by the company Meridionali, later known as IMAM (Industrie Meccaniche e Aeronautiche Meridionali). Designed by engineers Rinaldo Piaggio and Luigi Bonci, the Ro.30 first flew in 1932 as a response to the Regia Aeronautica’s need for a reliable, low‑cost platform to train junior pilots and to perform light transport duties. The aircraft featured a mixed‑construction airframe with a wooden wing and a steel‑tube fuselage covered in fabric, powered by a 120 hp Alfa Romeo Type 115 radial engine that delivered a maximum speed of 180 km/h and a service ceiling of 5,500 m. Its tandem open cockpits offered excellent visibility, while simple, robust controls made it ideal for primary instruction. Only a few dozen were built, but the Ro.30 proved valuable for regional flight schools and for liaison work within the Italian Army and civil aviation clubs. Its straightforward design influenced later IMIM trainers such as the Ro.37, and it stands as an example of inter‑war Italian efforts to modernize pilot training while keeping operational costs low.

Meridionali

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Design & Classification