Book Review of
Macchi C.205 Veltro
Author: Przemyslaw Skulski
Mushroom Model Publications (MMP)
Orange Series No. 8121
Orange Series No. 8121
ISBN: 978-83-65958-70-9
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $35.00
Copyright 2020
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $35.00
Copyright 2020
HISTORY:
The Macchi C.205 (also known as MC.205, "MC" standing for "Macchi Castoldi") Veltro (Italian: Greyhound) was an Italian World War II fighter aircraft built by the Aeronautica Macchi. Along with the Reggiane Re.2005 and Fiat G.55, the Macchi C.205 was one of the three "Serie 5" Italian fighters built around the powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. The C.205 was a development of the earlier C.202 Folgore.
With a top speed of some 640 km/h (400 mph) and equipped with a pair of 20 mm cannon as well as 12.7 mm Breda machine guns, the Macchi C.205 Veltro was highly respected by Allied and Axis pilots alike. Widely regarded as one of the best Italian aircraft of World War II, it proved to be extremely effective, destroying a large number of Allied bombers.
The Macchi C. 205 proved capable of meeting fighters such as the North American P-51D Mustang on equal terms, which encouraged the Luftwaffe to use a number of these aircraft to equip one Gruppe. While the C.205 was able to match the best Allied opponents in speed and manoeuvrability, it was introduced late in the conflict.
Due to the limitations of the Italian war economy, only a small production run was delivered before the end of the war. Like the Spitfire, the Veltro was tricky in its construction and slow to build.
Italy's highest scoring ace, Adriano Visconti, achieved 11 of his 26 credited victories in the few weeks he was able to fly the Veltro, with the top scoring Sergente Maggiore pilota Luigi Gorrini shooting down 14 enemy aircraft plus six damaged with the C.205.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer:Aeronautica Macchi
Designer: Mario Castoldi
First flight: 19 April 1942
Introduction to service: February 1943
Retired: 1947 (Italy), 1950 (Egypt)
Primary users: Regia Aeronautica, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, Luftwaffe
Produced: September 1942 – May 1944
Number built: 262
Developed from: Macchi C.202
THE BOOK:
This book is soft cover of 128 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ½” page format.
The cover is chalk-white with a color photo of a C.205 Veltro in flight over the countryside. It is in a base of sand with a dark green wave pattern on it, Italian AF post war roundels and white aircraft designation on its rudder.
The book contains 78 black and white wartime photos of the Veltro and 24 color ones.
There are 1/48th scale line drawings of 6 side views, 2 are 3-views and there is a 4-view in 1/72nd scale.
There are 16 maintenance manual illustrations, showing internal bracings, the tail wheel, guns and oil cooler.
There is one data list.
There are 80 color walk-around type photos of the Veltro in various museums and 24 more of it on airfields. Plus 9 color photos of the cockpit interior.
At the end of the book there is 18 color profiles. 20 of them are of Italian AF marked Veltro’s, wartime markings and post war. Two each are for the Luftwaffe and Egyptian AF.
This is one neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a Veltro model and to aviation historians alike.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers, who sent me this review sample and also Roger Wallsgrove the owner of MMP books.
Casemate is the North American distributor of MMP books and all MMP book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
The Macchi C.205 (also known as MC.205, "MC" standing for "Macchi Castoldi") Veltro (Italian: Greyhound) was an Italian World War II fighter aircraft built by the Aeronautica Macchi. Along with the Reggiane Re.2005 and Fiat G.55, the Macchi C.205 was one of the three "Serie 5" Italian fighters built around the powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. The C.205 was a development of the earlier C.202 Folgore.
With a top speed of some 640 km/h (400 mph) and equipped with a pair of 20 mm cannon as well as 12.7 mm Breda machine guns, the Macchi C.205 Veltro was highly respected by Allied and Axis pilots alike. Widely regarded as one of the best Italian aircraft of World War II, it proved to be extremely effective, destroying a large number of Allied bombers.
The Macchi C. 205 proved capable of meeting fighters such as the North American P-51D Mustang on equal terms, which encouraged the Luftwaffe to use a number of these aircraft to equip one Gruppe. While the C.205 was able to match the best Allied opponents in speed and manoeuvrability, it was introduced late in the conflict.
Due to the limitations of the Italian war economy, only a small production run was delivered before the end of the war. Like the Spitfire, the Veltro was tricky in its construction and slow to build.
Italy's highest scoring ace, Adriano Visconti, achieved 11 of his 26 credited victories in the few weeks he was able to fly the Veltro, with the top scoring Sergente Maggiore pilota Luigi Gorrini shooting down 14 enemy aircraft plus six damaged with the C.205.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer:Aeronautica Macchi
Designer: Mario Castoldi
First flight: 19 April 1942
Introduction to service: February 1943
Retired: 1947 (Italy), 1950 (Egypt)
Primary users: Regia Aeronautica, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, Luftwaffe
Produced: September 1942 – May 1944
Number built: 262
Developed from: Macchi C.202
THE BOOK:
This book is soft cover of 128 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ½” page format.
The cover is chalk-white with a color photo of a C.205 Veltro in flight over the countryside. It is in a base of sand with a dark green wave pattern on it, Italian AF post war roundels and white aircraft designation on its rudder.
The book contains 78 black and white wartime photos of the Veltro and 24 color ones.
There are 1/48th scale line drawings of 6 side views, 2 are 3-views and there is a 4-view in 1/72nd scale.
There are 16 maintenance manual illustrations, showing internal bracings, the tail wheel, guns and oil cooler.
There is one data list.
There are 80 color walk-around type photos of the Veltro in various museums and 24 more of it on airfields. Plus 9 color photos of the cockpit interior.
At the end of the book there is 18 color profiles. 20 of them are of Italian AF marked Veltro’s, wartime markings and post war. Two each are for the Luftwaffe and Egyptian AF.
This is one neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a Veltro model and to aviation historians alike.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers, who sent me this review sample and also Roger Wallsgrove the owner of MMP books.
Casemate is the North American distributor of MMP books and all MMP book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.