The Aeronautica Lombarda A.R., (Assalto Radioguidato – Radio Guided Assault aircraft)
was an inflight piloted then remotely radio-controlled land-based bomber
(flying-bomb). Jointly designed by Ermenegildo Preti (1918-1986) and Stelio Frati
(1919-2010) to meet the Regia Aeronautica Italia’s (RAI’s) need for a low cost aircraft
capable of operating within enemy controlled airspace to attack Allied naval ships and
land fortifications A.R. development ended with the September 8, 1943 Italian Armistice
after two aircraft had been built along with four incomplete airframes which were
seized by the Germans and subsequently destroyed except for the prototype whose fate
is unknown.
The genesis of the A.R. lay in a Regia Marina requirement that was subsequently
answered by the RAI General Ferdinando Raffaelli (1899-1981) who suggested the ARP program
(Aereo Radio Pilotato - Radio Guided Aircraft) which used worn-out Savoia-Marchetti S.79s
that were remotely controlled and laden with high explosives, flying them initially with
aircrews who bailed out, a radio controller in a second aircraft taking over and guiding
the plane to its target. On August 12, 1942 an ARP S.79 guided by a CANT Z.1007bis
equipped with a radio controller and escorted by five FIAT G.50s was launched against
Operation Pedestal (a heavily escorted relief convoy destined to Malta), the S.79's
pilot bailing out after setting it on course to hit
the convoy when the S.79's radio malfunctioned, cruising uncontrolled till crashing into
Mount Klenchela in Algeria. In spite of this set-back the RAI pressed ahead
with the ARP program shifting focus to purpose-built aircraft, timely responding Cantù
Como-based Aeronautica Lombarda designed the A.R., building one prototype plus five pre-production
aircraft procured in a 4.2 million lira RAI contract signed during November 1942.
The planes were assigned the serial numbers (Matricole Militare) MM.75576-75581.
The mostly wood Aeronautica Lombarda A.R. single-engine monoplane was a marvel of design
simplicity; the ovoid section wood-frame fuselage covered with plywood panels included a
fully enclosed cockpit accessible through a jettisonable bottom trapdoor. An internally
mounted 700 liter fuel tank along with attachment points for two un-finned 1000kg bombs
positioned near the aircraft’s center of gravity behind and below the cockpit was fully
enclosed with detachable plywood panels. The trapezoidal wood plank wings covered in
plywood sheeting and equipped with fabric-covered ailerons were set at high positive
dihedral to ensure the greatest possible flight stability. Operational A.R.s were to be
powered by 1000hp FIAT A.80 radials from decommissioned FIAT BR.20s in simplified NACA
section cowlings with three-blade propellers; detachable and reusable multi-wheeled
springed trollies similar to those on early production Luftwaffe Arado Ar.234s were to
be used for take-off.
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