In Box Review of Classic Airframes 1/48th Scale
Italian Macchi C.202 Fighter
Item no. 96-402 2995
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1995
Out of production
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1995
Out of production
HISTORY:
The Macchi C.200 Saetta (Italian: Lightning, or MC.200, was a fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy. It was operated in various forms by the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) who used the type throughout the Second World War.
The C.200 was designed by Mario Castoldi, Macchi's lead designer, to serve as a modern monoplane fighter aircraft, furnished with retractable landing gear and powered by a radial engine. It possessed excellent maneuverability and the C.200's general flying characteristics left little to be desired. Stability in a high-speed dive was exceptional, but it was underpowered and under armed in comparison to its contemporaries.
Early on, there were a number of crashes caused by stability problems, nearly resulting in the grounding of the type, which was ultimately addressed via aerodynamic modifications to the wing.
From the time Italy entered the Second World War on 10 June 1940, until the signing of the armistice of 8 September 1943, the C. 200 flew more operational sorties than any other Italian aircraft. The Saetta saw operational service in Greece, North Africa, Yugoslavia, across the Mediterranean, and in the Soviet Union (where it obtained an excellent kill to loss ratio of 88 to 15).
Its very strong all-metal construction and air-cooled engine made the aircraft ideal for conducting ground attack missions; several units flew it as a fighter-bomber. Over 1,000 aircraft had been constructed by the end of the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Aeronautica Macchi
Designer: Mario Castoldi
First flight: 24 December 1937
Introduction to service: 1939
Retired: 1947
Powerplant: 1870 hp Fiat A-74 R.C. 38
Armament: Two 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns
Max speed: 312 mph at 14,750 ft
Span: 34’ 8 ½”
Length: 26’ 10 3/8”
Range: 354 miles
Primary user: Regia Aeronautica
Number built: 1,151 + 2 Prototypes
Developed into: Macchi C.202
The Macchi C.200 Saetta (Italian: Lightning, or MC.200, was a fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy. It was operated in various forms by the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) who used the type throughout the Second World War.
The C.200 was designed by Mario Castoldi, Macchi's lead designer, to serve as a modern monoplane fighter aircraft, furnished with retractable landing gear and powered by a radial engine. It possessed excellent maneuverability and the C.200's general flying characteristics left little to be desired. Stability in a high-speed dive was exceptional, but it was underpowered and under armed in comparison to its contemporaries.
Early on, there were a number of crashes caused by stability problems, nearly resulting in the grounding of the type, which was ultimately addressed via aerodynamic modifications to the wing.
From the time Italy entered the Second World War on 10 June 1940, until the signing of the armistice of 8 September 1943, the C. 200 flew more operational sorties than any other Italian aircraft. The Saetta saw operational service in Greece, North Africa, Yugoslavia, across the Mediterranean, and in the Soviet Union (where it obtained an excellent kill to loss ratio of 88 to 15).
Its very strong all-metal construction and air-cooled engine made the aircraft ideal for conducting ground attack missions; several units flew it as a fighter-bomber. Over 1,000 aircraft had been constructed by the end of the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Aeronautica Macchi
Designer: Mario Castoldi
First flight: 24 December 1937
Introduction to service: 1939
Retired: 1947
Powerplant: 1870 hp Fiat A-74 R.C. 38
Armament: Two 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns
Max speed: 312 mph at 14,750 ft
Span: 34’ 8 ½”
Length: 26’ 10 3/8”
Range: 354 miles
Primary user: Regia Aeronautica
Number built: 1,151 + 2 Prototypes
Developed into: Macchi C.202
THE KIT:
Classic Airframes is an old prolific model company based in Chicago, IL.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of two Macchi C.202s flying above the clouds. Both are overall dark-green with light-gray cowling front edges and undercarriages. Both have a blue circle with a black and white axe on it on the sides of the fuselage. Followed by a logo of a black circle with a yellow tiger’s head on it.
Both have wide white fuselage bands, white cross on the rudder with a shield insignia in the center of the cross. Italian Fascist Air Force roundels above and below the wings.
The nearest Saetta has a fuselage code of a black 86- red 5 over its fuselage band.
The Saetta behind it carries the fuselage of black 86- red 8.
Both side-panels of the box are identical and begin with a small color repeat of the box art, followed by a 1-paragraph history of the Saetta and Classic Airframes' street address in Chicago, IL. There is a warning that the kit contains small parts not suitable for children. The kit was made in Czechoslovakia.
Classic Airframes is an old prolific model company based in Chicago, IL.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of two Macchi C.202s flying above the clouds. Both are overall dark-green with light-gray cowling front edges and undercarriages. Both have a blue circle with a black and white axe on it on the sides of the fuselage. Followed by a logo of a black circle with a yellow tiger’s head on it.
Both have wide white fuselage bands, white cross on the rudder with a shield insignia in the center of the cross. Italian Fascist Air Force roundels above and below the wings.
The nearest Saetta has a fuselage code of a black 86- red 5 over its fuselage band.
The Saetta behind it carries the fuselage of black 86- red 8.
Both side-panels of the box are identical and begin with a small color repeat of the box art, followed by a 1-paragraph history of the Saetta and Classic Airframes' street address in Chicago, IL. There is a warning that the kit contains small parts not suitable for children. The kit was made in Czechoslovakia.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 2 light gray trees of plastic parts, tan resin parts, a brass PE fret, a black photo-negative and the decal sheet in 3 sealed clear cello bags.
There are 2 instructions.
The main one is a single-sheet that is folded in the center to create 4 pages in 6 ¼” x 9” page format.
Page 1 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Parts are numbered here but not on the actual parts. Bad move, Classic Airframes!!
Page 2 begins with international assembly symbol explanations in 3 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 4 gives a grand total of 6 assembly steps that are alphabetized letter A to E and not numbered. Odd!
The second instructions is a single-sheet Printed on both sides on slick-coated paper.
The face side is a painting and marking guide that shows two 3-view profiles of Macchi C.202 Saetta’s.
The first one is the box art scheme one 86-5, already described above.
It was with the 86th Squadriglia, 7th Gruppo, 54th Stormo Caccia Terrestre, 1940-1941, Sicily, Italy.
The second one is overall dark-green over a light-gray undercarriage. It has a yellow cowling and yellow wing tips under the wings, a wide yellow fuselage band, followed by a white 1 and a narrow white fuselage band. A white cross on the rudder with a shield on it. Black Fascist Air Force roundels above and below the wings. Small white triangles on the leading edges of the wings on the top and bottom of them. It has a white triangle with a black scarecrow on it.
It was with the 360th Squadriglia, 22nd Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestre, 1941 Stalino, Russia.
The other side of the sheet gives the history of the Macchi C.200 and its specifications.
Trees and parts are not alphabetized.
The first light-gray tree of plastic parts holds: the fuselage halves, elevators, propeller, cowling, fuselage upper nose section, main wheels etc. (19 parts)
The kit holds 2 light gray trees of plastic parts, tan resin parts, a brass PE fret, a black photo-negative and the decal sheet in 3 sealed clear cello bags.
There are 2 instructions.
The main one is a single-sheet that is folded in the center to create 4 pages in 6 ¼” x 9” page format.
Page 1 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Parts are numbered here but not on the actual parts. Bad move, Classic Airframes!!
Page 2 begins with international assembly symbol explanations in 3 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 4 gives a grand total of 6 assembly steps that are alphabetized letter A to E and not numbered. Odd!
The second instructions is a single-sheet Printed on both sides on slick-coated paper.
The face side is a painting and marking guide that shows two 3-view profiles of Macchi C.202 Saetta’s.
The first one is the box art scheme one 86-5, already described above.
It was with the 86th Squadriglia, 7th Gruppo, 54th Stormo Caccia Terrestre, 1940-1941, Sicily, Italy.
The second one is overall dark-green over a light-gray undercarriage. It has a yellow cowling and yellow wing tips under the wings, a wide yellow fuselage band, followed by a white 1 and a narrow white fuselage band. A white cross on the rudder with a shield on it. Black Fascist Air Force roundels above and below the wings. Small white triangles on the leading edges of the wings on the top and bottom of them. It has a white triangle with a black scarecrow on it.
It was with the 360th Squadriglia, 22nd Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestre, 1941 Stalino, Russia.
The other side of the sheet gives the history of the Macchi C.200 and its specifications.
Trees and parts are not alphabetized.
The first light-gray tree of plastic parts holds: the fuselage halves, elevators, propeller, cowling, fuselage upper nose section, main wheels etc. (19 parts)
The second light-gray tree of plastic parts holds the wing halves (3 parts)
The brass PE fret holds: engine push-rods, dashboard, main landing gear doors, cockpit framing etc. Many parts.
The tan resin parts consist of the engine block, seat, cockpit floor and side panels, engine cylinders etc. (40 parts)
The vacu-formed canopy is next (1 part)
The black photo-negative holds instrument dial faces (5 dials)
There are 2 cast metal main landing gear legs.
The decal sheet completes the kit.
This is a very nicely detailed multi-media type kit.
Recommended.