The Ambrosini Rondone is an

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 ...

-designed two/three-seat light touring

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

of the early 1950s.

Development

The Rondone was designed to meet the needs of Italian private pilots and aero clubs for a more modern touring aircraft.

Stelio Frati Stelio Frati (born in Milan Italy in 1919, died 14 May 2010) was an Italian mechanical engineer and aeroplane designer. He graduated from the Politecnico of Milan as a mechanical engineer in 1943, participating in the design of the Aeronautica Lom ...

prepared the basic design for the prototype two-seat F.4 Rondone I which was built by CVV in 1951. This was followed by nine production examples produced by

SAI Ambrosini __NOTOC__ SAI Ambrosini was an Italian aircraft manufacturer established in Passignano sul Trasimeno, Italy, in 1922 as the ''Società Aeronautica Italiana''. It became SAI Ambrosini when it was acquired by the Ambrosini group in 1934. Prior to ...

in collaboration with Aeronautica Lombardi.Simpson, 2001, p. 38 The three-seat F.7 Rondone II first flew on 10 February 1954 and the prototype and nine production examples were built for Ambrosini by Legnami Pasotti. The Rondone is of conventional wooden construction with a plywood-covered one-piece single spar wing and a

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

fuselage. The

tricycle undercarriage Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle ge ...

is retractable. Two-position flaps and dual controls are fitted. The Rondone II has an extended cabin with additional rear side windows.Green, 1965, p. 84 Ambrosini F

Operational history

The Rondone was initially mainly sold to individuals and clubs in Italy, but examples later served in France and Germany. Several were still operational in 2009, including the German aircraft.

Variants

;F.4 Rondone I prototype :Two-seater with a

Walter Mikron III The Walter Mikron is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, inverted straight engine for aircraft. Development Developed in Czechoslovakia in the early 1930s, the engine saw limited use in late 1930s and early 1950s. In the 1980s an initial batch of engi ...

. 1 built.''Archive'' 1982, p. 67 ;F.4 Rondone I production aircraft :Two-seater with an

Continental C-85 The Continental O-190 (Company designations C75 and C85) is a series of engines made by Continental Motors beginning in the 1940s. Of flat-four configuration, the engines produced 75 hp (56 kW) or 85 hp (63 kW) respectively. ...

Continental C-90 The Continental C90 and O-200 are a family of air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, direct-drive aircraft engines of 201 in³ (3.29 L) displacement, producing between 90 and 100 horsepower (67 and 75 kW).''Federal Aviation Admin ...

. 10 built. ;F.7 Rondone II :Three-seater with a Continental C90 or

Lycoming O-290-D2 Lycoming may refer to the following, most of which are at least partly in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States: Geography * Lycoming, New York, a hamlet * Lycoming County, Pennsylvania * Lycoming Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania * Ly ...

engine. 10 built from new plus one converted from a F.4. Some were later fitted with a

Continental O-200 The Continental C90 and O-200 are a family of air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, direct-drive aircraft engines of 201 in³ (3.29 L) displacement, producing between 90 and 100 horsepower (67 and 75 kW).''Federal Aviation Admini ...

engine.''Archive'' 1982, p. 69

Specifications (F.7 Rondone II with Lycoming engine)

References

;Bibliography * * * * {{Frati aircraft 1950s Italian civil utility aircraft Low-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1951