Developed from the Ro.57, the Ro.58 was conceived as a two-seat heavy fighter and attack aircraft. Its estimated range was 1,500 kilometres, with a maximum speed around 378 mph. Three forward-firing 20 mm MG 151 cannon in the nose and two beneath the fuselage gave it concentrated firepower, with a defensive 12.7 mm gun in the rear cockpit. Comparative testing reportedly favored it over the Messerschmitt Me 410, but repeated production delays prevented quantity service. Operational numbers could have raised Allied bomber losses and changed wartime priorities or development sequences. The war's outcome would probably have remained the same.
Notable Point · 30:02-32:34
The Ro.58 heavy fighter's concentrated firepower
The two-seat Ro.58 combined long range, high speed, and five forward-firing 20 mm cannon for attacks on Allied bomber formations.