Modern/Post-War Photos

The Ro.37bis is returned

Stato Maggiore Aeronautica

After a year of renovation works and few months of exhibition at Parco Volandia, near the Milan-Malpensa International Airport, the only IMAM-Romeo Ro.37bis still existing on 9 October 2012 is returned to its natural place, the Italian Air Force Museum on Vigna di Valle, Lake Bracciano, 40 km North of Rome, where the Italian Air Force’s skilled personnel has started its re-assembling on the hangar “Velo” of the Museum. The airplane, code 11341, has a wonder story. It’s one of 16 recce aircraft of this type, powered by one 550-hp Piaggio P.IX radial engine, purchased by the Afghan Government on 1937 and employed until 1941. The wrecks of this aircraft was discovered on 2006 by Italian Armed Forces in Afghanistan near the Kabul Airport and transferred in Italy by an Italian Air Force’s C-130J together some spare parts of other planes of the same type. The Ro.37bis was completely rebuilt with colors and markings (110-12) of the plane of the 110th Squadriglia employed in Italian East Africa by the viceroy Amedeo di Savoia Duke of Aosta of which has the emblem on the fuselage. This unique heirloom will exposed near the floatplane derivative, the IMAM-Romeo Ro.43 (in background on the photo). The Italian Air Force Museum has also another exemplar of on IMAM-Romeo’s airframe, that of the training aircraft Ro 41 today waiting for the restauration. Victor Sierra