Meridionali Ro.51
Meridionali · Italy · first flew 1937 · fighter
The Ro.51 was an Italian single-seat biplane fighter prototype developed by Meridionali in the late 1930s. It was a compact design intended to compete with more modern monoplane fighters entering service at the time.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.46 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-engine Italian biplane fighter prototype
- Radial engine with large spinner
- Compact biplane with tapered wings
A compact single-engine biplane with tapered wings and a radial engine; its relatively high speed for a biplane sets it apart from earlier Italian fighter biplanes.
Specifications
- The Meridionali Ro.51 has a length of 7.46 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.78 m (32 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 489 km/h (304 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed by Officine Meccaniche Meridionali (OMM) as a private venture fighter, the Ro.51 flew in the late 1930s but was not selected for production. Italy's air force was transitioning to monoplane designs, and the biplane configuration was already considered obsolescent. The aircraft remained a prototype and saw no operational service.
Variants
Only a single prototype is believed to have been built; no production variants were developed.
Where you'll see it
The Ro.51 never entered service and remained a one-off prototype evaluated by the Regia Aeronautica.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.