In 1933, the French Navy issued a specification for a single-seat seaplane fighter capable of being operated from the catapults of its cruisers and battleships.

[2] In October that year it was re-engined with a 680 hp (507 kW) Hispano-Suiza 14Hbrs radial in a NACA cowling, increasing the speed and the floats were modified.

[3][6] It was re-engined again in October 1937 with a 900 hp (671 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs-1 V12 engine with a 20mm cannon firing through the propeller boss.

[1] Although the attempts to sell the R.90 to the French Navy failed, the aircraft attracted the attention of the Spanish Republican Air Force, which placed an order for 24 of a landplane derivative, the Romano R.83.

This differed in having a conventional fixed tailwheel undercarriage, a non-gulled upper wing and was to be powered by a 450 hp (336 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior engine.

This was powered by a Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine as tested in the Romano R.90, and reverted to the gulled upper wing of the floatplane.