The Ariete was the follow-up to Aerfer's Sagittario 2 and the final model of a line that started with the 1939 wooden, taildragging S.7 racing aircraft. The main difference with Sagittario 2 was the added secondary engine, with retractable dorsal air intake and tail exhaust. Test flight results in March 1958 were unsatisfactory and construction was abandoned after this second prototype.