Alessandro Tonini (1885 – 12 November 1932) was an important Italian aeronautical engineer and aircraft designer of the early 20th century who worked for Gabardini, Macchi, and IMAM.
The first, delivering 40 to 45 horsepower (30 to 34 kW), was installed on the Wright biplane which Lieutenants Mario Calderara and Umberto Savoja flew during the "Brescia Week” competition, winning all the prizes for a domestically produced Italian apparatus.
[2] The second, delivering 70 horsepower (52 kW), was installed on the Rebus Works′ Monorebus monoplane, which made a flight of 15 kilometres (9.3 mi)[3] over the Malpensa airfield in Milan in June 1910.
[4] Together with Piero Bergonzi and Ippolito Negri, Tonini later designed two types of canard monoplane with a parasol wing,[2] creating the world's first airplanes with a monocoque fuselage.
[6] The Ro.5 performed well during the International Challenges in 1929 and the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) adopted it for use in liaison squadrons.