Ammunition carried was up to 800 rounds (standard: 700 rounds). Green, William. V. The C.202 was able to out-turn all three, although the Spitfire possessed a superior rate of climb. Messerschmitt Bf 109 formation. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. [19] For some time, supplies of the DB 601 engine continued to be provided directly from Germany in order to supplement Italian production. The clean aerodynamics offered by the inline engine permitted dive speeds high enough for pilots to encounter the then-unknown phenomenon of compressibility. During May 1942, the Macchis of 51° Stormo and 23° Gruppo (3° Stormo) also arrived. [42] The 4º Stormo flew its last mission on Malta on 19 May before moving back to North Africa. [21] It was significantly streamlined over the preceding C.200 to increase performance by reducing the parasitic drag encountered. [30] Their pilots started to train on the new fighter in May–June 1941, at Lonate Pozzolo (Varese), the airfield of the Macchi. During March 1943, the Corpo Aereo Italiano was detached to Odessa airbase, joining Reggiane Re. Shop online for 8 italian world war ii airplane model kits at discounts up to 21%. The Fiat G.50 Freccia ("Arrow") was a World War II Italian fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by aviation company Fiat. [13] Breda would eventually produce the majority of the type. Others served as trainers in the Axis-aligned Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (National Republican Air Force) of the Italian Social Republic (RSI) and the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). [28][page needed], Like its predecessor C.200, the C.202 had relatively few modifications, with only 116 modifications during its career, most of them invisible, externally. )JGr, had reportedly initially regarded the Macchis as "old, weary and unusable", and described the morale of his men as "low", and his unit's results as "nil", primarily because of the NDH's underdeveloped air-raid warning system, which saw the Croatian Macchi fighters often taking off to intercept attacking Allied bombers that were already flying overhead. The large two engined P-38 looks nothing like your typical World War 2 fighter, looking more like a heavy fighter, but the Lightning (namesake of the F-35 Lightning II), or Fork Tailed Devil to the Germans and Two Planes One Pilot to the Japanese was an extremely fast and maneuverable plane. [13] The prototype differed in some respects from the production aircraft; the headrest fairing incorporated two windows for rear visibility, while production versions replaced this with a narrower, scalloped headrest. "La Caccia Italiana 1940–43" (in Italian). See more ideas about fighter, ww2 aircraft, italian air force. [70][78], Those allied pilots who flew against the Folgore were frequently impressed with its performance and manoeuvrability. There are a total of [ 32 ] WW2 Italian Fighter Aircraftentries in the Military Factory. On 23 December 1942, the Regia Aeronautica authorized the use of under-wing jettisonable tanks on the C.202s of 6° and 7° Gruppo based in Pantelleria, significantly boosting their endurance. [65], After the abandonment of advanced airfields between December 1942 – January 1943 at Voroshilovgrad, Stalino and Tscerkow, the Italian air units were operated in a series of defensive actions against a more potent Soviet air offensive, consisting mainly of Ilyushin IL-2s Shturmoviks and Petlyakov Pe-2s. The ailerons, elevators and rudder were metal structures with fabric covering. [citation needed] As a consequence of these operational circumstances, 21° Gruppo – which had 17 C.202s on strength – were rarely able to conduct sorties; as such, only a total of 17 missions were flown with Folgores on the Eastern Front during a four-month period. Designed by Northrop, only around 700 were built, and at a cost of $190,000 per plane, they were among the most expensive American fighter plane of ww2. [23][11] A synchronizing unit allowed the nose guns to fire through the propeller disk, but with a 25% loss in ROF (Rate of Fire). "Macchi Folgore" (in Italian). [12] The undercarriage was of a standard design; the two widely set hydraulically-actuated main gears retracted inwardly into recesses set into the wing, while the tail wheel was non-retractable. By early 1943, Regia Aeronautica had only 54 serviceable C.202 across 12 squadrons. The Macchi C.202 Folgore (Italian "thunderbolt") was an Italian fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Macchi Aeronautica. It had a very small cockpit and no rear facing windows, which was very unusual for a reconnaissance plane. [5][6] During its service life, the C.202 was deployed on all fronts in which Italy was involved. Because no transport aircraft were available every surviving fighter had two men inside, a pilot and a mechanic. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. Italian Macchi C.202 Folgore fighter plane of World War II. Corgi World War II Diecast Military Aircraft The air war in Europe helped decide the outcome of the war. [76], As a consequence of the Allied aerial bombing against the Italian Social Republic, during which the manufacturing facilities of the Macchi company had sustained damage during 1944, both the production life and combat career of both the C.202 and the further refined C.205 were effectively cut short and greatly diminished. [3], The Royal Egyptian Air Force ordered a total of 42 C.205s, but 31 of these were in fact re-engined Folgores (C.202s), armed with only a pair of 12.7 mm Breda machine guns. There are a total of [ 359 ] WW2 Fighter Aircraft entries in the Military Factory. [26] The C.202 carried as standard two 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns. In combat, it very quickly proved itself to be an effective and deadly dogfighter against its contemporaries. However, the Black Widow was worth it. Mixed units (such as the 51° Stormo, Sardinia) were formed with C.202s, yet were often serving with C.205s as well. [61] Pilots of 16° Gruppo Assalto, an attack unit, downed no fewer than 10 aircraft. During one such mission, on 11 December 1942, which involved the escorting of several Junkers Ju 52s en route to Stalingrad, Tenente Pilota Gino Lionello was shot down and forced to bail out from his Folgore. [48], Nevertheless, the C.202's pilots were able to achieve many successes against the British Spitfires. Macchi C.202, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Macchi_C.202&oldid=997816775, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from September 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 2 × 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns in the wings, 500 rpg, 2 × 50 kg (110 lb), 100 kg (220 lb) or 160 kg (350 lb) bombs, 2 × 100 L (26.4 US gal; 22.0 imp gal) drop tanks, Ciampaglia, Giuseppe. Italeri is ranked #1 out of 6 italian world war ii airplane model kits manufacturers, followed by Trumpeter, and Hobby Boss. [14] The performance figures gathered during these tests indicated that Italy had caught up with both Britain and Germany in the field of fighter airplanes. [34] The type was quickly put to use outside of North Africa, seeing limited service against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front where, between 1941 and 1943, together with C.200s, the fighter reportedly achieved an 88 to 15 victory/loss ratio. This list may not reflect recent changes (). The Breda design was as heavy as the Browning M2, the model from which it was derived. [80] The C.202 could effectively fly against the Hurricane, Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Bell P-39 Airacobra, Curtiss P-40 and even the Spitfire at low altitudes, but the aircraft's combat effectiveness was somewhat hampered by its weak armament. Both pilots flew with 51° Stormo C.T., the most successful Italian unit over Malta, having reportedly achieved a score of 97 aircraft destroyed for the loss of only 17 Folgores. Aug 29, 2020 - Explore Will Dougherty's board "Macchi Fighters - Italy WW2" on Pinterest. [32] Although first deployed in mid-1941, the C.202 did not see action until later that autumn; this delay came as a consequence of the many defects that were discovered upon the first fighter deliveries. Designed in 1940, production started early in 1941 but by the time the Nazis invaded there were only 249 available.After the factories were moved out of range of the Germans production soon skyrocketed and the IL-2 became ” as essential to the Red Army as air and bread,” as Stalin put it. Sources: Angelucci E., Matricardi P., Aerei da combattimento della Seconda Guerra Mondiale (2001). The total series production ordered was 1,454: 900 to Breda, 150 to SAI Ambrosini, 403 to Aermacchi. "Macchi M.C.202 and M.C.205V. Jul 3, 2016 - Images and profiles of WW2 Italian Macchi M.C.200 Saetta fighter. [73], On 24 April 1944, the first confirmed air victory was claimed by Unteroffizier Leopold Hrastovcan against an American B-24 that was shot down near the village of Zapresic (Zagorje). This, coupled with the 32 Cant Z.1007s, was one of the most powerful fighter forces that the Italians fielded in the war, and constituted almost a tenth of the overall Folgore production. Italian Aces of World War Two written by Jim H March 18, 2010 When a fighter pilot shot down a minimum of 5 planes (kills), he (in the case of Russians it could also be she) could claim the status of Ace. Single-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft, Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter Prototype, Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter, Twin-Engine Multi-role Medium Bomber Aircraft, All-Metal Single-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft, Multirole Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter Aircraft, Single-Seat Fighter / Ground Attack Aircraft, Single-Seat, Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft, Single-Seat Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft, Single-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter Aircraft, Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstorer (Destroyer), Twin-Seat, Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter Aircraft, Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter Aircraft, Single-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter-Bomber Aircraft, Canard-Configured Pusher Fighter Aircraft Prototype. (in Italian).". [21], The fuselage of the C.202 was a semi-monocoque shell, comprising four light-alloy beams, complete with longerons and ovoidal bulkheads. 1° Stormo had 60 fighters, 17°Gruppo around 30. Sgarlato, Nico. The unpressurised cockpit had an armor plate fitted behind the armored seat for protection. [77] Switzerland had placed an order for 20 C.202s, however, none of these were ever delivered; this was due to the deteriorating war situation at the time (May 1943) that meant that Italy no longer had the capability to export these types of aircraft. Among the pilots who flew recce C.202s on Malta was Adriano Visconti, later to become a famed ace and credited with at least 10 air victories. During July 1939, the Regia Aeronautica requested that Reggiane construct a single prototype Re.2000 that was powered by a German Daimler-Benz DB 601Aa, liquid-cooled supercharged inverted V-12 engine rated at 1,175 PS (1,159 hp, 864 kW); this became the Re.2001. [30], According to military history author Antonio Duma, some of the defects present on the new fighter could have been easily resolved, such as a tendency for the landing gear to inadvertently lower when pulling out of a steep dive, a machine gun bonnet that often broke, frequent jamming of the ammunition belts and, caused by vibrations generated by the engine, the rapid crystallizing and eventual shearing of the air cleaner intake. From the onset of flying trials, it was evident that the C.202 was an advanced design for the era, owing much of its performance to the use of the Daimler Benz DB 601, which represented a departure from the standard practice of using engines of Italian origin. [7] 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. ", This page was last edited on 2 January 2021, at 10:53. [70][78] During mid-1944, at least 12 C.202s, and probably another 12 aircraft, were delivered to the Croatian Air Force Legion for operational use against the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces over Croatia, all of which being ex-LW fighters. "Via da Korba, con ogni mezzo" (in Italian). It was operated mainly by the Regia Aeronautica (RA; Royal (Italian) Air Force) in and around the Second World War. The Macchi C.200 Saetta (Italian: both Arrow or Lightning), or MC.200, was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy, and used in various forms throughout the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force). The Yak-3 was evenly matched against the German Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters, but sometimes could also perform the impossible. [18] SAI-Ambrosini, based in Passignano sul Trasimeno, also served as another sub-contractor on the C.202, ultimately building around 100 fighters of the type. During April 1942 the 4° Stormo solved the frequent problems to the oxygen masks by adopting the German Dräger "oxygen apparatus" that already equipped the Bf 109s. [41] The 4° Stormo C.202s flew the first sortie, on 21 April, claiming a Spitfire V, while escorting three more "recce" Macchis from 54º Stormo. The wing was a bi-longeron structure, which was attached to the fuselage center section via steel forgings; it was fitted with flaps that were both statically and dynamically balanced. The rate of fire was about 18 rounds/second (1,080 rounds per minute) or 0.63 kg (1.39 lb). The Macchi's mass was around 300 kg (660 lb) higher than the comparable Bf 109E German fighter, consequently, the power-to-weight ratio was considerably lower while wing loading was higher. On 5 July 1943, Lucchini was killed in his C.202 while attacking a B-17 over Gerbini, Sicily. The Macchi C.202 Folgore is regarded as the most successful Italian fighter aircraft of World War Two. 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