Reggio mechanical workshops – Wikipédia
The society Italian mechanical workshops S.p.A. , become very quickly Reggiane S.p.A. mechanical workshops , and better known by the simple name of Reggiane , is an Italian mechanical company created in August 1901 in Reggio d’Émilie, Emilie-Romagne, and specializing in rail and artillery munition. This company acquired its letters of nobility in aeronautical construction, an activity started in the interwar period, notably with its famous fighter planes launched in the late 1930s.
Origin of the company [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
The company was created in Reggio d’Emilie during the month of by the engineer Romano Right under the name Mechanical workshop and foundry ing. Romano Righi and C.
In December 1904 the name of the company became Reggio -mechanical officine mechanical workshops – OMR During the resumption of the company by Giuseppe Menada, new majority shareholder and president and chief executive officer. Giuseppe Menada who was previously director then president of the company Safre – Società Anonima delle Ferrovie di Reggio Emilia / Société Anonyme des railways of Reggio d’Emilie, can thus guarantee a volume of activity to his new company by immediately ordering twenty Wagons closed with goods and the transport of livestock and seven open wagons.
‘ The Reggiane pharmacies started modestly with the manufacture of simple open wagons, …. then we went to the freight wagons, to the luggage cars, … We then built splendid third class and second -class wagons. We continued with the first class wagons and now build perfect travelers. »
– Giuseppe Menada, 1906
In 1908, the company was strengthened in the field of railway construction by buying the company Nobles of Bologna and takes an important participation in companies S. A. Metallurgica Ossolana And Anonymous celestial Longoni Deggio by Émilie.
In 1909, Reggiane began the production of its first steam locomotive. Between 1910 and 1937, no one hundred and sixty steam locomotives of all types were produced.
In 1912, the company continued its expansion by resuming the Anonymous Italian railway workshop . That same year society saw its corporate reason become Reggiane Officine Mechanics Italian S.p.A.
First World War [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
The First World War saw the development of the military activity of society. The society Reggiane Bought the ammunition society in 1918 Modena bullets .
At the beginning of 1918, Reggiane entered the aeronautical field with the support of Caproni, which will buy the company in the late 1930s. The company “Officine Meccaniche Reggiane”, is retained, with others, during the huge call to ‘Offers for the manufacture of Biplan Triblen Biplan Aircrafts from the Caproni CA.44, CA.45 and CA.46. This order is three hundred devices.
Between two wars [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
In 1920, the crisis spared no company that contributed to the war effort, including “Reggiane”, which sees all its workshops occupied by the workers. To diversify its activities, the company bought the “Società Anonima Meccanica Lombarda – Saml” of Monza specializing in the construction of mills, bread ovens and clay products. Economic difficulties increased and in 1928 the company decided a new diversification of its activities with the entry into the field of grain silos but must sell its industrial sites in Modena and Monza.
The global economic crisis of the 1930s definitively ends the rescue efforts of the company which had also started an activity in the construction of agricultural machines. In 1933 the IRI (Institute for Industrial Reconstruction) took over the majority of the company’s actions, which saves the Fergio d’Emilie factories.
En 1935, livel to the besoin street Rérinement fasciste by Irii la division salété regions
Aeronautical development and the slaughter of Reggiane employees [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
In 1936, the company Studi e Brevetti Gruppo Caproni led by engineer Giovanni Pegna was created in Reggio d’Emilie. Giovanni Pegna is a former Piaggio Aero designer engineer and continues the design and development of experimental planes and technical solutions to apply to Reggiane Avio productions. The first realization is the bomotor Piaggio p.32bis, an evolution of the famous Piaggio p.32.
The company Reggiane creates the “Aircraft engines” division for manufacturing under the engine in the star engine Piaggio P. VII C.16. The company also manufactures under Piaggio license, the versions of Piaggio C 35 and C 45 engines of P VII, P VI, XI bis. “Reggiane” also manufactures under Fiat Avio license the Fiat A.74 engine. The success of the company’s aviation division ensures 60% of the global turnover in 1936.
In 1937, Reggiane launched the manufacturing under the Siai Marchetti license of the Savoia-Marchetti Sm.79 tromotor Bombardier. Due to the slowdown in orders, at the end of 1937, the aviation sector only represents 45% of the global turnover, the company “Studi e Patetti Caproni” is incorporated.
Sales of the aviation sector resumed in 1938 and 1939, and represent 55% and 80% respectively of total turnover.
The , the first prototype of Reggiane R.2000 (mm 408) is controlled by Commander Mario Bernardi. Serial production was launched in November of the same year for Italian royal aviation. The copies manufactured were only made operational in 1941.
The plane receives an excellent reception also internationally with an order from the Royal Air Force British of three hundred copies. Likewise the aviations of Sweden, Yugoslavia, Spain, Finland, Switzerland and the Soviet Union hold this aircraft but no order is formalized as a result of the entry into war of Italy alongside from Nazi Germany. Only Hungary confirms its seventy exemplary order. In the month of , the license for manufacturing in Hungarian Mávag factories in Budapest is granted.
In , the production of interceptor aircraft re.2000 Heja for the Hungarian army begins.
In June and , the first prototypes Reggiane R.2001 (mm 409) and Reggiane R.2002 (mm 454), fly controlled by the commander of Bernardi.
The the Swedish Air Force (KSF), the Swedish Air Force, commands sixty copies of the Reggiane R.2000 which were delivered between 1941 and 1942.
In , the production of interceptor aircraft re.2000 for the Swedish army KSF begins.
The , the first copy of the Re.2000Cat Catapultable version is tested by the Italian royal navy.
In , the Swedish Royal Air Force (KSF) wants to place an important order of several hundred Reggiane RE.2001 devices, but, due to the state of war and the priority needs of Italian aviation, the order is refused.
In 1942, the project to design new online engines RE.105 RC 100 and RE.103 RC 50 was launched. None of them will be made in large series.
MAVAG, manufacturing the Reggiane RE.2000 planes under Italian license, delivers the first series of planes baptized locally Héja II.
In September and , the Re.2001or version to arm the aircraft carriers of the Italian navy are tested.
The , the first night flight of the hunter re.2001CN (mm 08075), is conclusive and allows the start of the production of the CN series.
The is the black day of the slaughter of Reggiane employees. Nine workers, including a pregnant woman, are killed. The workers organized, in defiance of the very strict provisions imposed by General Badoglio – who prohibited the rallies of more than three people – a demonstration to claim the end of the war. Several thousand workers pass the doors of the factory when a Bersagliers battalion opens fire to them. The explanation is still vague: it seems that the officer heard gunshots (perhaps the security guards of the factory) and has lost control of the situation.
The fall of 1943 presents a negative turning point for Reggiane. The German Occupation Authorities decide the immediate cessation of activities related to aviation.
The 7 and , Emilie’s Reggio’s factories are entirely destroyed during two Allied bombings. The machines that have been recovered are stored near Reggio d’Emilie and other cities in northern Italy. To flee from allied bombings, the intensity of which increased seriously, production is decentralized in many factories in northern Italy, Torbole, Gavirate Cocquio, Besozzo, Gemonio.
Given the Nazi occupation and the cessation of design studies and the development of aircraft, Reggiane is preparing for the post-war period by programming the conversion of the production tool to the manufacture of civil aircraft. It will launch the project, but never materialized, of the seaplane Reggiane CA.8000 for transatlantic flights.
From the month of , production resumes in decentralized workshops, with some difficulties. These are mainly manufacturing for German companies: Messerschmitt AG, BMW in particular the Enggiane P.VII and P.XIBI, Daimler-Benz DB 605 engines in collaboration with Piaggio Aero, Isotta Fraschini and Alfa Romeo Industry. In addition, the Luftwaffe ordered a good number of reggiane re.2002 planes and had maintenance and repairs ensured.
In , all tools and equipment are requisitioned by the Nazi army and transferred to Germany with around thirty engineers to provide assistance to Reggiane RE.2002 used by Luftwaffe.
The turnover of the aeronautical sector of the year 1944 only represents 40% of the total.
The , the director of “Officine Reggiane”, the engineer Vischi Arnaldo, despite the confirmation at his post by the National Liberation Committee, is assassinated by a commando of the former communist parties former employees of Reggiane. Following the destruction of war and the conditions of peace imposed on Italy by the Allies, the aeronautical division of Reggiane ceases all activity.
In 1950, a layoff plan of 2,100 employees marked the start of the longest occupation of a factory by workers in Italian history, started in , it ended a year later, in October 1951 when the company’s forced liquidation.
The company is currently converted into the production of cranes and container handling devices. It was bought by the Fantuzzi group which continued the activity under the name Fantuzzi-reggiane and recently sold to the American group Terex.
The company has affected several technical specialties:
- rail transport with the freight wagons at the start, steam locomotives and electric locomotives and diesel then;
- Air transport: military combat and civil aircraft;
- munitions.
Reggiane railway [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
The rail division was created in 1904. It will start its activity with the manufacture of freight wagons and for the transport of livestock. She will then move towards passenger cars with the three comfort classes of the time. The most important customer of Reggiane was the International Company of Wagons Lits and will provide him with more than half of his park riding between 1926 and 1940, in association with OM.
From 1910, the manufacture of steam locomotives will start with the CCFR5 model.
Then follow the large series of Italian railways:
- Gr. 835: Thirty copies manufactured;
- Gr. 740: The most disseminated locomotive within FS with 470 copies including nineteen by Reggiane;
- Gr. 940: Locomotive-Tender version of Gr. 740, twenty copies manufactured by Reggiane;
- Gr. 685: The large queen of the steam of European railways, with its 1 250 ch And a speed of 120 km/h, of which Reggiane will manufacture ten copies.
The FS permanently stopped steam engine controls in 1927. Reggiane continued to make certain models essentially for sales with foreign railways and mechanical parts for the maintenance of the existing park.
The only late production concerns the “MA series”, designed by Breda C.F. but of which Reggiane almost made all manufacturing. Twenty copies will be produced specially for Greece as compensation for war damage in 1953 and 1954. The “MA” series represents the largest number of copies of steam locomotives made in Europe. Their power was 2 600 ch And guaranteed a speed of 95 km/h, their length reached 25 meters and a mass of 204 tonnes.
Reggiane began the manufacture of electric locomotives in 1920. The FS began with lines powered under 3 600 IN three -phase. Reggiane will manufacture 12 locomotives FS E.551 and 12 locomotives FS E.554.
Very quickly, from 1924, under the leadership of the engineer Giuseppe Bianchi, responsible for the design of the FS rolling stock, the power system passed into 3 kV single -phase. Reggiane adapted to this new characteristic and participated in the manufacture of many locomotives such as:
- FS E.626, years 1936-39;
- FS E.428, years 1936-39;
- FS E.636, years 1939-60, the series was manufactured in 469 copies;
- FS E.646, year 1963;
- Fs e.444 Tartaruga-tortue , years 1968-70, manufactured by Reggiane, speed 200 km/h;
- FS E.656, years 1975-82, the most manufactured series with more than 500 copies;
- FS E.402, six copies of pre -series in 1988, 5 200 kW , 220 km/h, elected the most beautiful Italian electric locomotive.
The company Reggiane stops its rail division after this last manufacturing.
In the late 1920s, to replace steam locomotives, Reggiane began studying diesel engines. The first manufacturing concerns the 1936 FS ALN 9001 model which was only struck off until 1981.
Reggiane will be, as for other types of traction, to the manufacture of models on behalf of FS, including the famous FS D.341 first re And 2 of series, with the diesel engines Fiat or Breda C.F .. Reggiane will also export a part of its manufacturing to Argentina.
The manufacture of diesel locomotives continued until 1979 with the last delivery of twenty copies of FS D.445, then the most powerful diesel locomotives in service on the FS network.
Reggiane paricipo also to the manufacture of electric and diesel carrains, on behalf of Fiat Ferroviaria, Breda C.F. or Ansaldo.
Planes [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
Motors [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
License engines [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
Reggiane engines [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
- Re.102 RC.50/1
- Re.103 RC.40/1
- RE.105 Study and experimental construction
- Engine study RE.104 RC.48/D, 1,100 HP at takeoff
- Online 18 -cylinder engine study, 1,500 hp for takeoff
Locomotives and rail equipment [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
- Steam locomotive – Three copies for the “Società Anonima Ferrovia Valle Senio – FVS”
- Locomotive diesel FS D.141
- Diesel locomotive FS D.341 Participation in the order of the FS 1 supply batch – Prototype 5001 equipped with an Reggiane engine in place of the Fiat engine
- FS D.245 maneuver locomotive – Order of a lot
Innovations [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
- Construction of aircraft with waterproof envelope.
- The use of alclad.
- Radiators included in the wings.
- Jet propulsion jet aircraft.
- Design of commercial aircraft for transatlantic transport.
- Use of turning elements in the manufacturing process.
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external links [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
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