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39-599: The first Alfa Romeo engine used on an airplane was installed in 1910. Designed and created by designer Antonio Santoni and Alfa Romeo driver Nino Franchini, the airplane was equipped with the engine from an ALFA 24 HP designed by Giuseppe Merosi with a maximum power of 36 horsepower (27 kW). The Santoni-Franchini biplane made its first flight on 1 November 1910 in Milan, taking off from Baggio and landing in San Siro . Alfa Romeo's involvement in aviation continued after

78-574: A 7,600 km (4,700 mi) flight over the Andes in 1950 as a Missione di Italianità (Mission of the Italian Spirit). In 1953, the same aircraft flew across the arctic, raising the international profile of the Italian aerospace industry still further. In the fifties Alfa Romeo continued to collaborate with Fiat, producing jet engines, but production remained below pre-war levels. In 1952, of

117-647: A blank sheet a new model, designed from the outset for the Italian market—unlike the unsuccessful small Darracqs. Merosi worked on what would become the 24 HP before ALFA was even established: in January the foreign management of the Portello factory was replaced by Italians, and only in June 1910 SIAD changed its denomination to ALFA. Before the Fall of 1910 the first prototype of the 24 HP was completed and tested. Alongside

156-518: A contract to produce the Armstrong Siddeley Lynx seven and nine cylinder radials under license. At the end of the twenties, Alfa Romeo director, Prospero Gianferrari, decided to diversify the company's business, and invest in the design and construction of aircraft engines in addition to trucks and buses. To demonstrate the new prowess, and the way that their expertise spread between aviation and motoring, in 1931 Alfa Romeo organized

195-482: A future armed conflict. Soon aircraft production was generating almost 80% of Alfa Romeo's sales revenue. In this context, in 1938, it was decided to build a production plant in Pomigliano d'Arco, near Naples, dedicated to the design and assembly of aircraft engines. In the following years the plant in Pomigliano d'Arco reached levels of quality and technological achievement that put it among the leading factories of

234-599: A license to build the Bristol Jupiter IV, an air-cooled nine cylinder radial engine. These engines were then used on reconnaissance and observation aircraft like the IMAM Ro.1 , Meridionali Ro.1 and Caproni Ca.97 . They were also used, experimentally, on the Caproni Ca.102 bomber and Ansaldo AC.3 fighter. In 1928, Pasquale Gallo, who replaced Nicola Romeo at the head of Alfa Romeo, also managed to win

273-574: A new managing director, Ugo Gobbato , was appointed. Development and production of aircraft engines resumed. The D2 engine was used to power the Breda Ba.25 , the most widely used Italian basic trainer of the 1930s, and the Caproni Ca.101 . It was complemented by further development of the license-built Jupiter, the Alfa Romeo 125 , 125 RC.35, 126 RC.10 , 126 RC.34, 128 RC.18 , 128 RC.21 and 129 RC.32 , some of which saw widespread use. For example,

312-641: A race between an Alfa Romeo 8C 3000 Monza driven by Tazio Nuvolari and a Caproni Ca.100, also Alfa Romeo powered. Tazio Nuvolari beat the airplane by a small margin. The first big result of this change in strategy was the production, in 1932, of the first aircraft engine completely designed, developed and built by the Alfa Romeo, the D2 . Unfortunately, this development was too late for Alfa Romeo who were declared bankrupt in 1933. The state-owned Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale stepped in to take control and

351-505: The Avio group . The combined company was involved in 2005 in the development of T700-T6E1 engine for the NH90 NHI helicopter. ALFA 24 HP The ALFA 24 HP is a 4.1-litre four-cylinder passenger car, the first model produced by Italian car manufacturer ALFA ( Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili ), which in 1919 would become Alfa Romeo . It was introduced in 1910, the year ALFA

390-671: The Fiat G.91 programme, one of a number of examples of cooperation between the companies during the decade, and was the European distributor of the General Electric J85 and CJ610 turbojets. It was also involved, alongside FIAT, FN of Belgium and BMW , in the European production programme for the production of a FIAT (General Electric) J79-GE-11A turbojet to power the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter that

429-572: The Reggiane Re.2001 and Macchi M.C.202 . The Second World War left many signs in the Portello plant and the production site of Pomigliano d'Arco, which was considered a very important war supplier. Because of its strategic importance, the plant in Milan suffered two heavy bombing raids on 14 February and 13 August 1943. The final raid came on October 20, 1944, which was the heaviest bombardment that Milan had suffered, destroying more than 60% of

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468-427: The crankcase was cast aluminium , incorporating the four engine mountings. The single in-block camshaft was driven by a gear train on the original 24 HP, and by a more silent chain on its evolution, the 20-30 HP. The driveline comprised a dry multi-plate clutch , a four-speed gearbox and a one-piece propeller shaft , spinning inside a tube attached to the rear differential housing. At its open end, towards

507-825: The 126 RC.34 was installed on five different airplanes: the Savoia-Marchetti S.74 , SM.75 , SM.79 , SM.81 and Cant Z.506 . Other aircraft engines derived from foreign designs in this decade included the 110 , based on the De Havilland Gypsy Major , the 115 , based on the De Havilland Gypsy Six and the Mercurius, based on the Bristol Mercury . At the same time, Alfa Romeo developed and produced its own propellers, both fixed and variable pitch, made from duralumin . In

546-424: The 24 HP in 1911 Alfa introduced the 12 HP , somewhat simpler in its construction and equipped with a smaller 2,413 cc engine, later evolved into the 15 HP and then into the 15-20 HP . On 14 May 1911 the 24 HP made its racing debut at the 6th Targa Florio . A pair of special 24 HP tipo corsa (racing type) were built for the occasion, with 2-seat baquet bodywork, an additional 30-litre fuel tank behind

585-400: The 500 employed at the factory in Pomigliano d'Arco, only 160 worked in activities primarily link to aviation. Although management of the operation returned to Alfa Romeo, activities at Pomigliano d'Arco were limited, reduced to the repair and the construction of combustion engines. In 1962 it was decided to reorganize the plant. Alongside the "Vehicles" and "Diesel" sections, a "Avio" division

624-539: The Italian Army. In 1974, Alfa Romeo began a collaboration with Rolls-Royce to design, develop and assemble gas turbines. In 1975 the workforce employed by Alfa Romeo Avio had grown to 2,000 workers, although by 1980 this had settled to 1,300 employees. The company focused its work on supporting Pratt & Whitney , Rolls-Royce and General Electric engines. However, development of indigenous engines did not halt. In 1979, Alfa Romeo achieved another milestone as it

663-490: The aviation business were patented and later used in cars. One of the most famous metal alloys designed and developed by Alfa Romeo was "Duralfa". In the late thirties the political situation in Europe was changing as the winds of war brought many nations, including Italy, into an arms race. Alfa Romeo's production was directed away from civilian cars towards the assembly of the aircraft engines and trucks that would help Italy in

702-473: The company, which by then had been taken over by Nicola Romeo and renamed Alfa Romeo , restarted automobile production after the war. 95 examples were built in 1920, becoming the first cars badged Alfa Romeo, together with the ALFA 15-20 HP assembled the same year, which had followed a similar fate. During 1920 the 20-30 HP was developed into the larger displacement, shorter wheelbase Alfa Romeo 20-30 ES Sport,

741-564: The construction of Fiat factories in Germany and Spain. In 1931, Fiat founder and senator Giovanni Agnelli (1866–1945) entrusted Gobbato with the construction of the first Fiat factory in Moscow . Gobbato moved with his family to Moscow, where he lived for over two years. In 1933 Gobbato moved back to Italy, when the government and the Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI) gave him

780-429: The engine produced 49 bhp (37 kW) at 2,400 rpm , and top speed was 115 km/h (71 mph). Although Italy initially remained neutral until 1915, with the outbreak of First World War in 1914 international demand for motor cars declined sharply. As Alfa Romeo turned to wartime production, in 1915 frames and parts for almost 100 20-30 HP cars were set aside unused. They were assembled five years later when

819-411: The engine with Alfa Romeo and the latter two companies taking responsibility for the rest of the aircraft. One product of this collaboration, an Alfa Romeo 110 powered Ambrosini S.1001 "Grifo" named Angelo dei Bimbi (Children's Angel), had a significant effect on the media. In 1949, the aircraft made the trip from Milan to Buenos Aires in 19 hours to raise funds for injured children injured, followed by

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858-431: The factory and closing the production site down. The plant in Pomigliano d'Arco suffered a similar fate on 30 May 1943, with the destruction of 70% of the factory by air attack. After the war, military production ceased and the factory in Pomigliano d'Arco was temporarily converted to produce cars, trucks, trolley buses, diesel engines, generators and marine engines, as well as testing car engines and chassis. Shortly after,

897-511: The first car to be badged Alfa Romeo from its introduction. The 20-30 ES was produced in 1921 and 1922 in 124 examples. The 24 HP and its derivatives were based on a ladder chassis of C-shaped stamped steel rails. Its engine was a 4,084 cc or 249.2 cu in (bore and stroke 100 x 130 mm, compression ratio 4.15:1) sidevalve inline-four cylinder , fed by a single vertical carburettor . Cylinder block and cylinder head were en bloc , and made of cast iron ;

936-570: The gearbox, this tube forked out into two ends which, linked to the chassis, located the rear axle. The gearbox was positioned towards the middle of the chassis, almost underneath the driver, rather than in block with the engine—to which it was connected by a short propshaft. Front and rear solid axles were sprung on longitudinal semi-elliptic leaf springs . Brakes were drums on the rear wheels, with both pedal and hand controls. The wheels had wooden spokes. Ugo Gobbato Ugo Gobbato ( Volpago del Montello , 16 July 1888 – Milan , 28 April 1945)

975-452: The level of local skills. Turnover of Alfa Romeo Avio increased by 34% from 1968 to 1969 and in the second half of the sixties the company successfully exhibited its aircraft engines in various international air exhibitions. In the seventies, in the civil field, Alfa Romeo repaired all the types of turbine engines used by Alitalia and other Italian airlines, while, in the military arena, Alfa Romeo concentrated mainly on piston engines used by

1014-453: The period. After the outbreak of World War II, plant director Ugo Gobbato (1888–1945) decided to establish a separate division for aircraft products. Thus, in 1941, Alfa Romeo Avio was born. The aircraft engines produced by the Alfa Romeo in this period were almost all air-cooled radial engines. One exception was the RA 1000 RC.41 , which was licensed from Daimler-Benz and used fighter planes like

1053-403: The seats, two spare tyres, and an engine tuned to 45 bhp (34 kW) at 2,400 rpm . Weighing 870 kg (1,918 lb) (as opposed to 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) for a torpedo-bodied standard 24 HP), the car had a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph). Both drivers (Nino Franchini and Ugo Ronzoni) had to retire on the third and last lap of the course—the first because of an accident,

1092-430: The second because of physical exhaustion. The 24 HP was sold solely as bare chassis. It was made in five series, named with letters from A to E. The series E introduced in 1914 showed the most significant revisions, so much that the model was renamed ALFA 20-30 HP. The ALFA 20-30 HP of 1914 and 1915, or ALFA 24 HP series E, was an update of the earlier 24 HP. The in-block camshaft was now chain- instead of gear-driven,

1131-573: The site reopened as a maintenance site for aircraft engines, but this activity was substantially smaller than even pre-war production, since the operations were initially only the repair of Bristol engines and production of replacement parts. In 1947 the management of the plant in Pomigliano d'Arco passed from Alfa Romeo to Metalmeccanica Meridionale, but in 1948 Alfa Romeo returned to aircraft engine production. In 1949 Alfa Romeo made an alliance with Fiat, SAI Ambrosini and Aermacchi to produce de Havilland aircraft, with Fiat sharing responsibility for

1170-576: The takeover by Nicola Romeo . During the Nicola Romeo ownership, the company received orders from the Italian war ministry to build 300 license Isotta Fraschini V6 engines for bombers used in the First World War. However, after the war ended, having made a prototype of a 600 horsepower (450 kW) V12 engine, the Alfa Romeo aviation business was temporarily suspended. Alfa Romeo resumed activity in aviation in 1924. Nicola Romeo purchased

1209-607: The task of reorganizing Alfa Romeo which at the time was on the brink of bankruptcy. From 1938 he directed the development of a new factory in Alfa Romeo Pomigliano d'Arco plant outside Naples , which had been bombed in 1943. Towards the end of World War Two Gobbato was relocated to Milan. Gobbato led the company until the end of the Italian Civil War , when he was assassinated by one of Alfa Romeo's workers, Antonio Mutti, in Milan on 28 April 1945. He

Alfa Romeo Avio - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-478: The thirties, the Alfa Romeo engines for the aviation industry became famous for their successful participation in the various attempts to break world records in aviation and for their sporting triumphs. The Alfa Romeo aircraft engines of this period, used largely on the aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica , helped to write important pages in the history of Italian aviation. Some of the metal alloys used in

1287-585: The war in 1920. In turn the 20-30 HP evolved into the 1921–22 Alfa Romeo 20-30 ES Sport , the first car to be badged Alfa Romeo from its introduction. In total the 24 HP and 20-30 HP were produced in 680 examples. ALFA was born from Società Italiana Automobili Darracq—Milano ( SIAD ), an unlucky attempt by French manufacturer Darracq and some Italian investors of creating an Italian branch to locally build and sell Darracq cars under license. In Autumn 1909 SIAD managing director Cavalier Ugo Stella tasked technical director Giuseppe Merosi with developing from

1326-652: Was an Italian engineer and Managing Director of Alfa Romeo 1933 to 1945. Gobbato studied in Germany where he graduated in mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Zwickau in Saxony . After having fulfilled his military service between 1915 and 1918 during World War One , he was hired by Fiat in Turin and was appointed the first director of the Lingotto factory. From 1929 to 1931 he oversaw

1365-524: Was being built in Europe and was used extensively by many NATO air forces. Given that the activities at the plant were expanding, the leadership of the Alfa Romeo decided to invest in the training of workers and technicians. At the same time, politicians keen to see development in southern Italy, supported the creation of the Alfasud factory next to the Alfa Romeo Avio facility, greatly increasing

1404-499: Was founded, and produced until 1914 in ALFA's Portello factory near Milan. The model's name comes from its tax horsepower rating, then frequently used as vehicle designation. The 24 HP was commercially successful and continued to be developed for a decade. In 1914 some updates transformed the 24 HP into the ALFA 20-30 HP , produced in 1914 and 1915—with some hundred cars assembled after

1443-486: Was restored. The revived Alfa Romeo Avio began to diversify its operation. Its repair and maintenance side expanded to deal with repairing Curtiss-Wright R-1820 and R-3350 piston engines, Rolls-Royce Avon and Wright J65 turbojets, Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops and Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans mounted on Italian and Norwegian airplanes. Alfa Romeo license built the Bristol Siddeley Orpheus for

1482-453: Was sold to Fiat, the remaining shares still owned by Alfa Romeo was bought by Aeritalia. As a result, Alfa Romeo Avio became part of Finmeccanica , the owner of Aeritalia and at the time state-owned. With the privatization of state-owned companies, including Finmeccanica, in 1996, the ownership of Alfa Romeo Avio was passed to Fiat Avio, bringing with it a turnover of 300 billion lire and 1,500 workers. Since 2003, Alfa Romeo Avio has been part of

1521-504: Was the first Italian company to design, develop and build a turboprop aircraft engine (the AR.138 ), which was installed on a Beechcraft King Air . In 1981, Alfa Romeo Avio took part, along with Oto Melara and Fiat Avio in the development of the supersonic Otomach missile derived from the successful Otomat . In 1982, Alfa Romeo transferred 10% of its shares in Alfa Romeo Avio to Aeritalia, that share grew to 60% in 1984. In 1986, when Alfa Romeo

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