Rohrbach Ro IX Rofix
Rohrbach Metall-Flugzeugbau · German Reich · first flew 1926 · fighter
The Ro IX Rofix was an all-metal parasol-wing fighter built by Rohrbach, a company otherwise known for large metal flying boats, as its bid for a Turkish Air Force fighter contract.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Single strut-mounted wing held clear above the fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- All-metal parasol-wing monoplane fighter, unusual for a flying-boat maker
- Single strut-mounted wing held clear above the fuselage
- Large inline liquid-cooled engine with a prominent radiator
Its parasol wing set well above an all-metal fuselage, carried on struts, is unusual among 1920s fighters and marks it out immediately.
Specifications
- The Rohrbach Ro IX Rofix has a length of 9.5 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 285 km/h (177 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Rohrbach won a March 1926 contract to compete against the Dewoitine D.21, Nieuport-Delage NiD 42 and Blériot-SPAD S.51; the first prototype, powered by a 600hp BMW VI engine, flew around September 1926 and was tested in Denmark to sidestep German aircraft-building restrictions.
Variants
A second prototype was built, but both aircraft crashed during testing, one fatally, ending the programme before a production order could follow.
Where you'll see it
It never entered Turkish or German service; the Rofix remains a footnote as one of Rohrbach's rare ventures outside metal flying boats.
Related aircraft
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