Meridionali
IMAM Ro.57
The IMAM Ro.57 was a twin‑engine fighter‑bomber developed in Italy during the latter stages of World II by Industria Meccanica Aeronautica Meridionali (IMAM). First flown in October 1942, the aircraft was intended to replace the aging Fiat G.50 and provide the Regia Aeronautica with a high‑speed, heavily armed platform capable of both air‑to‑air combat and precision ground attacks. Powered by two 750 hp Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 radial engines, the Ro.57 reached a top speed of approximately 580 km/h and a service ceiling of 9,600 m, while carrying up to 500 kg of bombs under its wings and a dorsal turret armed with a 20 mm cannon plus twin 12.7 mm machine guns in the nose. Its all‑metal low‑wing monoplane design featured retractable landing gear and a streamlined fuselage, giving it superior aerodynamics compared with earlier Italian designs. Only a limited series of prototypes and a short production run were built before the Italian armistice in September 1943, but the Ro.57 demonstrated the feasibility of combining high‑performance twin‑engine fighters with bomber capability. Although it never saw large‑scale service, the aircraft influenced post‑war Italian designs and remains a notable example of late‑war innovation in Italian aviation.
