Book Review of
Macchi C.202 Folgore Fighter
Author: Przemyslaw Skulski
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications)
Orange Series No. 8122
ISBN : 978-83-65958-89-1
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright:2021
MSRP: $35.00
Orange Series No. 8122
ISBN : 978-83-65958-89-1
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright:2021
MSRP: $35.00
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 The C.202 continued to be used in North Africa as late as mid-1943, by which point the type was withdrawn to support defensive efforts in Sicily and the Italian mainland following their invasion by Allied forces.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.
During mid-1942, in North Africa, the Folgore achieved a ratio kill/loss better than that of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. 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 type also had well-known design flaws: in particular, like the C.200, the C.202 was prone to suddenly entering dangerous spins.
Its radios were also unreliable, routinely forcing pilots to communicate by wagging their wings. The C.202 was lightly-armed, relative to its contemporaries with just a pair of machine guns that had a tendency for jamming.
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, Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia, Luftwaffe
Number built: 1,150[1]
Developed from: Macchi C.200
Developed into: Macchi C.205
THE BOOK:
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) is based in the UK. All their books are printed by Stratus in Lublin, Poland in English. Stratus also does their own line of books in both Polish and English.
This book is soft-cover of 116 pages in 8” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a Macchi C.202 Folgore sitting on a runway. It is in a base of medium –green with dark-green squiggle-pattern camouflage. It has a white cross on the rudder sides with a color Cross of Lorraine insignia on it. It has a wide white fuselage band with a black circle with a white illustration of an archer on it. The tip of the nose and the propeller spinner are white. The under-carriage is light grey.
The book contains 96 black and white photos and 96 color ones. The color photos are mostly walk-around type of the aircraft in a museum.
There are 5 black and white line-drawing side profiles, a 3-view and a 4-view that includes illustrations of the fuselage bulkheads. Also a color side view all in 1/48th scale.
Three photos of the inner fuselage structure. Five insignia illustrations.
Black and white line-drawing illustrations include:
5 of the electrical system, the air intake, 5 of the engine and 4 of its supports, guns, nose, propeller, canopy, 4 of the dashboard, cockpit floor, seat, 2 of the wing inner structure, the rudder inner structure, the elevators inner structures, 2 of the landing gear, the wheel wells.
There is a black and white photo of the dashboard and 3 of the cockpit interior.
There are 46 color side-view profiles. Two 3-views, a 4-view and a 5-view.
This is one neat book about the Macchi C.202 Folgore. It will be of great interest to modelers who plan to build this aircraft and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of MMP books and all MMP titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web-site at:
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.
During mid-1942, in North Africa, the Folgore achieved a ratio kill/loss better than that of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. 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 type also had well-known design flaws: in particular, like the C.200, the C.202 was prone to suddenly entering dangerous spins.
Its radios were also unreliable, routinely forcing pilots to communicate by wagging their wings. The C.202 was lightly-armed, relative to its contemporaries with just a pair of machine guns that had a tendency for jamming.
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, Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia, Luftwaffe
Number built: 1,150[1]
Developed from: Macchi C.200
Developed into: Macchi C.205
THE BOOK:
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) is based in the UK. All their books are printed by Stratus in Lublin, Poland in English. Stratus also does their own line of books in both Polish and English.
This book is soft-cover of 116 pages in 8” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a Macchi C.202 Folgore sitting on a runway. It is in a base of medium –green with dark-green squiggle-pattern camouflage. It has a white cross on the rudder sides with a color Cross of Lorraine insignia on it. It has a wide white fuselage band with a black circle with a white illustration of an archer on it. The tip of the nose and the propeller spinner are white. The under-carriage is light grey.
The book contains 96 black and white photos and 96 color ones. The color photos are mostly walk-around type of the aircraft in a museum.
There are 5 black and white line-drawing side profiles, a 3-view and a 4-view that includes illustrations of the fuselage bulkheads. Also a color side view all in 1/48th scale.
Three photos of the inner fuselage structure. Five insignia illustrations.
Black and white line-drawing illustrations include:
5 of the electrical system, the air intake, 5 of the engine and 4 of its supports, guns, nose, propeller, canopy, 4 of the dashboard, cockpit floor, seat, 2 of the wing inner structure, the rudder inner structure, the elevators inner structures, 2 of the landing gear, the wheel wells.
There is a black and white photo of the dashboard and 3 of the cockpit interior.
There are 46 color side-view profiles. Two 3-views, a 4-view and a 5-view.
This is one neat book about the Macchi C.202 Folgore. It will be of great interest to modelers who plan to build this aircraft and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of MMP books and all MMP titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web-site at:
Very highly recommended.