The Aerfer ''Ariete'' (
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
for ''Ram'') was a prototype
fighter aircraft built in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in 1958. It was a refined derivative of the
Aerfer Sagittario 2
The Aerfer Sagittario 2 (Italian for ''sagittarius'') was a prototype all-metal single-seat lightweight fighter aircraft built in Italy by Aerfer, intended to serve as an interceptor or light tactical support aircraft. First flown in 1956, it b ...
, and was an attempt to bring that aircraft up to a standard where it could be mass-produced as a viable combat aircraft.
Retaining most of the Sagittario 2's layout with a nose intake and ventral exhaust for the main
Derwent engine, the Ariete added a
Rolls-Royce Soar
The Rolls-Royce RB.93 Soar, also given the Ministry of Supply designation RSr., was a small, expendable British axial-flow turbojet intended for cruise missile use and built by Rolls-Royce Limited in the 1950s and 1960s. Like all the company's ...
RS.2 auxiliary turbojet engine to provide additional power for climbing and sprinting. This used a dorsal, retractable intake with its exhaust at the tail.
No production ensued; a proposed version with a
de Havilland Spectre rocket engine instead of the auxiliary turbojet, the Aerfer Leone, was abandoned before a prototype could be built.
Operators
;
*
Italian Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 28 March ...
operated two aircraft for evaluation test
Specifications (Ariete)
See also
References
Bibliography
* Buttler, Tony. ''X-Planes of Europe II: Military Prototype Aircraft from the Golden Age 1946–1974''. Manchester, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2015.
* Swanborough, Gordon. ''Air Enthusiast, Volume One''. London: Pilot Press, 1971. .
{{Aerfer aircraft
Aerfer aircraft
Abandoned military aircraft projects of Italy
1950s Italian fighter aircraft
Twinjets
Low-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1958