In Box Review of Hasegawa 1/48th Scale
Italian Macchi C.202 "Cavallino Rampante"
(Prancing Horse) & "Folgore" (Thunderbolt)
Kit no. 09139
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1995
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1995
HISTORY:
The Macchi C.202 Folgore (Italian "Thunderbolt") was an Italian fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Macchi Aeronautica. It was operated mainly by the Regia Aeronautica (RA; Royal (Italian) Air Force) in and around the Second World War.
According to aviation author David Mondey, the Folgore has been considered to be one of the best wartime fighters to serve in large numbers with the Regia Aeronautica.
The C.202 was designed by a team headed by the company's chief of design, Italian aeronautics engineer Mario Castoldi. As per company tradition, Macchi aircraft designed by Mario Castoldi received the "C" letter in their model designation, hence the Folgore is commonly referred to as the C.202 or MC.202.
The C.202 was a development of the earlier C.200 Saetta, powered by an Italian-built version of the German Daimler-Benz DB 601Aa engine and featuring a redesigned fuselage for greater streamlining.
During July 1941, the Folgore went into service with the Regia Aeronautica. In combat, it very quickly proved itself to be an effective and deadly dogfighter against its contemporaries. During its service life, the C.202 was deployed on all fronts in which Italy was involved.
During late 1941, it commenced offensive operations over Malta and in North Africa, where Italian and German forces were engaged in heavy combat against British and later American operations.
The C.202 continued to be used in North Africa as late as mid-1943, by which point the type was withdrawn to support defensive efforts in Sicily and the Italian mainland following their invasion by Allied forces.
It also saw limited use on the Eastern Front. Following the 1943 Armistice with Italy, the type was mostly used as a trainer aircraft. The type was also operated by Croatia.
The Australian ace Clive Caldwell, who fought a wide variety of German, Italian and Japanese fighters during 1941–45, later stated that the C.202 was "one of the best and most undervalued of fighters".
The C.202 also had its defects: like its predecessor, the C.200, it could enter a dangerous spin. The radios were unreliable, routinely forcing pilots to communicate by wiggling their wings and Western historians regard the C.202 as insufficiently armed, being furnished with just a pair of machine guns that had a tendency for jamming.
Still in mid-Summer 1942, in North Africa, the Folgore achieved a ratio kill/loss better than that of the Messerschmitt Bf 109s.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Macchi Aeronautica
Designer: Mario Castoldi
First flight: 10 August 1940
Introduction to service: July 1941
Retired: 1951
Status: Out of service
Primary users: Regia Aeronautica, Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske, Luftwaffe
Number built: 1,150
Developed from: Macchi C.200
Developed into: Macchi C.205
The Macchi C.202 Folgore (Italian "Thunderbolt") was an Italian fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Macchi Aeronautica. It was operated mainly by the Regia Aeronautica (RA; Royal (Italian) Air Force) in and around the Second World War.
According to aviation author David Mondey, the Folgore has been considered to be one of the best wartime fighters to serve in large numbers with the Regia Aeronautica.
The C.202 was designed by a team headed by the company's chief of design, Italian aeronautics engineer Mario Castoldi. As per company tradition, Macchi aircraft designed by Mario Castoldi received the "C" letter in their model designation, hence the Folgore is commonly referred to as the C.202 or MC.202.
The C.202 was a development of the earlier C.200 Saetta, powered by an Italian-built version of the German Daimler-Benz DB 601Aa engine and featuring a redesigned fuselage for greater streamlining.
During July 1941, the Folgore went into service with the Regia Aeronautica. In combat, it very quickly proved itself to be an effective and deadly dogfighter against its contemporaries. During its service life, the C.202 was deployed on all fronts in which Italy was involved.
During late 1941, it commenced offensive operations over Malta and in North Africa, where Italian and German forces were engaged in heavy combat against British and later American operations.
The C.202 continued to be used in North Africa as late as mid-1943, by which point the type was withdrawn to support defensive efforts in Sicily and the Italian mainland following their invasion by Allied forces.
It also saw limited use on the Eastern Front. Following the 1943 Armistice with Italy, the type was mostly used as a trainer aircraft. The type was also operated by Croatia.
The Australian ace Clive Caldwell, who fought a wide variety of German, Italian and Japanese fighters during 1941–45, later stated that the C.202 was "one of the best and most undervalued of fighters".
The C.202 also had its defects: like its predecessor, the C.200, it could enter a dangerous spin. The radios were unreliable, routinely forcing pilots to communicate by wiggling their wings and Western historians regard the C.202 as insufficiently armed, being furnished with just a pair of machine guns that had a tendency for jamming.
Still in mid-Summer 1942, in North Africa, the Folgore achieved a ratio kill/loss better than that of the Messerschmitt Bf 109s.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Macchi Aeronautica
Designer: Mario Castoldi
First flight: 10 August 1940
Introduction to service: July 1941
Retired: 1951
Status: Out of service
Primary users: Regia Aeronautica, Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske, Luftwaffe
Number built: 1,150
Developed from: Macchi C.200
Developed into: Macchi C.205
THE KIT:
Hasegawa is an old prolific model company based in Japan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Macchi C.202 flying above the clouds. It is in a base of tan with dark green mottle over sand yellow undercarriage. It has a white nose and spinner, a wide white fuselage band, a blue circle with a fascist axe on it in front of the cockpit on the sides. The fuselage code is black 96- red 6 before the fuselage band and a black shield with a rampant white horse on it behind the fuselage band. There is a white triangle with a black armored boot on it on the rudder, before a white cross with the House of Savoy emblem on it.
One side panel has features of the kit in 7 languages, each labeled with color illustration of the flag of the countries that speak that language, including English.
Features are: Contains parts for one model. Paint and glue are not included. With English instructions.
Below this is Hasegawa's street address in Shizuoka, Japan and their telephone no. & MADE IN JAPAN.
Hasegawa is an old prolific model company based in Japan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Macchi C.202 flying above the clouds. It is in a base of tan with dark green mottle over sand yellow undercarriage. It has a white nose and spinner, a wide white fuselage band, a blue circle with a fascist axe on it in front of the cockpit on the sides. The fuselage code is black 96- red 6 before the fuselage band and a black shield with a rampant white horse on it behind the fuselage band. There is a white triangle with a black armored boot on it on the rudder, before a white cross with the House of Savoy emblem on it.
One side panel has features of the kit in 7 languages, each labeled with color illustration of the flag of the countries that speak that language, including English.
Features are: Contains parts for one model. Paint and glue are not included. With English instructions.
Below this is Hasegawa's street address in Shizuoka, Japan and their telephone no. & MADE IN JAPAN.
The other side panel has a color photo of the model made up. It is overall dark green, with a white tip on the spinner, a blue circle with a fascist axe on it in front of the cockpit on the sides, a wide white fuselage band with a black hexagon on the band and a white figure of an archer on the hexagon with the words "INCOCCA TENDE SCAGLIA" (It notches curtains flake) Whatever that means? Plus a white 80 behind the fuselage band. There is some yellow lettering on the front of the udder, followed by a white cross with the House of Savoy insignia on it.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 8 medium-grey trees and a clear tree and decal sheet in a sealed clear cello bag.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7" x 10" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up in the scheme shown on the side panel (already described above).
Below this is the history of the C.202 in Japanese and English over 2 black and white walk-around type photos of the model in the side panel scheme again.
Page 2 begins with international assembly symbol explanations in 4 languages, including English. Over the first 2 assembly steps.
Page 3 to 4 give a balance of a total of 9 assembly steps.
Page 5 is the parts trees illustration. Some parts are shown greyed-out. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
The bottom of the page has a suggested listing of paint colors to use.
Page 6 is marking and painting instructions for the box art scheme. Shown as a 4-view (already described above).
Page 7 also is marking instructions. This time for the side panel scheme (also already described above). Shown as a 4-view.
Page 8 begins with decal application instructions over not suitable for children under 3 due to small parts, in multiple languages, including English. The bottom of the page has CAUTIONS about the kit in English and Japanese.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the fuselage halves, cowl top panel etc. (10 parts) 4 parts are excess.
Co-joined to it is medium-grey letter D tree that holds the elevators (2 parts)
This kit contains 8 medium-grey trees and a clear tree and decal sheet in a sealed clear cello bag.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7" x 10" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up in the scheme shown on the side panel (already described above).
Below this is the history of the C.202 in Japanese and English over 2 black and white walk-around type photos of the model in the side panel scheme again.
Page 2 begins with international assembly symbol explanations in 4 languages, including English. Over the first 2 assembly steps.
Page 3 to 4 give a balance of a total of 9 assembly steps.
Page 5 is the parts trees illustration. Some parts are shown greyed-out. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
The bottom of the page has a suggested listing of paint colors to use.
Page 6 is marking and painting instructions for the box art scheme. Shown as a 4-view (already described above).
Page 7 also is marking instructions. This time for the side panel scheme (also already described above). Shown as a 4-view.
Page 8 begins with decal application instructions over not suitable for children under 3 due to small parts, in multiple languages, including English. The bottom of the page has CAUTIONS about the kit in English and Japanese.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the fuselage halves, cowl top panel etc. (10 parts) 4 parts are excess.
Co-joined to it is medium-grey letter D tree that holds the elevators (2 parts)
Medium-grey letter B tree holds: upper wings, air scoop, dash, cockpit side walls and floor etc. (20 parts)
Medium-grey letter C tree holds: the wing bottoms, landing gear legs & doors etc. (17 parts)
There is no letter E tree.
Medium-grey letter F tree holds: spinner, cowl lower panel, tailwheel etc. (14 parts) 4 parts are excess.
Lettering now jumps to the 2 identical medium-grey letter J trees. They each hold a main wheel and individual propeller blades etc. (4 parts per tree)
There is no letter K tree.
There is no letter K tree.
Medium-grey letter L tree holds exhaust pipes etc. (4 parts)
Clear letter M tree holds the cockpit transparencies (4 parts) One part is excess.
The decal sheet completes the kit.
There is no pilot figure included. Detail is of the engraved type and all flaps are molded solid.
This is a very well detailed model.
Highly recommended.
This is a very well detailed model.
Highly recommended.