The Ro.37 reconnaissance workhorse

The two-seat Ro.37, also called the Lynx, provided ground forces with reconnaissance at distances made increasingly important by faster maneuver and long-range artillery. Its main strength was dependable service. The aircraft operated in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Italian Somaliland, the Spanish Civil War, and the Second World War, and exports went to Uruguay, Afghanistan, Hungary, Austria, and Ecuador. About 617 airframes were built, with roughly 280 still in Italian service in 1940 and definite service continuing in 1943. The Caproni Ca.311 failed to meet the required standard, and the later Ro.63 did not displace the older aircraft. Its persistence resembles the Fairey Swordfish remaining in use through the Albacore's troubled engine and reliability transition.