Ro.43

The Ro.43 was a single‑engine, catapult‑launched reconnaissance seaplane built in the late 1930s by the Italian firm Meridionali. Developed in response to the Regia Aeronautica’s requirement for a compact floatplane that could be carried aboard battleships and cruisers, the Ro.43 first flew in February 1935 and entered service the following year. Its wooden airframe featured a low‑wing monoplane layout with twin floats, and it was powered by a 750 hp Alfa Romeo Pegasus radial engine that gave a top speed of about 300 km/h and a range of 800 km. The aircraft could be quickly assembled and disassembled for storage in ship‑board hangars, and its three‑seat configuration accommodated a pilot, observer and radio operator. Operationally the Ro.43 proved valuable for fleet scouting, artillery spotting and limited anti‑submarine patrols, especially during the early Mediterranean campaigns of World II. Although later superseded by more powerful designs, the Ro.43 demonstrated the practicality of ship‑borne floatplanes and influenced subsequent Italian naval aviation concepts, marking an important step in the integration of air and sea power. In the post‑war period a handful of surviving Ro.43s were used for civilian coastal patrol and trainer duties, preserving the type’s legacy within Italian aviation museums.

Meridionali

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification