Macchi MC.202 Folgore

Mario Castoldi's Macchi C.202 Folgore (thunderbolt) was developed from the radial-engined C.200, and powered by a Daimler- Benz DB 601A-1 produced under licence as the Alfa Romeo RA 1000 RC 411.

First flown by Carestiato on 10 August 1940, the C.202 Series 1 production version entered service with the 1° Stormo at Udine in the summer of 1941, this unit arriving in Libya in the following November. The Folgore was a low wing monoplane with inward retracting undercarriage and two 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine-guns in the nose; there was also provision for two 7.7mm guns in the wings.

The aircraft was developed and produced in 11 series with imported or licence-built engines. Later aircraft featured increased armament with the addition of two rifle-calibre wing machine-guns. Variants used in small numbers were the tropicalised MC.202AS and the dual-role MC.202CB that could be used as a fighter-bomber with 320 kg (706 lb) of bombs under the wings or as a long-range escort fighter with underwing drop tanks. The type was also trialled as the MC.200D with a chin radiator. It served with 45 Squadriglie of the 1°, 2°, 3°, 4°, 51°, 52°, 53° and 54° Stormi in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, the Aegean and Russia. Production totalled about 1,500, of which 392 were produced by the parent company and the remainder by Breda.

Ultimate wartime development of the C.200/202 series of Italian fighters was the Daimler Benz-powered C.205.

Engine: l x Alfa Romeo AR.1000 PC 41-1 Monsone, 876kW (1,175 hp)
Span: 10.58m (34 ft 8.7 in).     
Length: 8.85m (29 ft 0.5 in).
Normal T/O weight: 2937 kg (6,475 lb).     
Max speed: 370 mph at 16,405 ft.
Operational range: 475 miles.
Armament: 2 x 12.7-mm (0.5-in) mg and (later aircraft) 2 x 7.7-mm (0.303-in) mg.

Engine: Alpha Romeo RA.1000 RC.41 Monsone, 1159 hp
Length: 29.035 ft / 8.85 m        
Height: 9.974 ft / 3.04 m
Wingspan: 34.711 ft / 10.58 m    
Wing area: 180.835 sq.ft / 16.8 sq.m
Max take off weight: 6637.1 lb / 3010.0 kg    
Weight empty: 5181.8 lb / 2350.0 kg
Max. speed: 321 kts / 595 km/h    
Service ceiling: 37730 ft / 11500 m
Range: 413 nm / 765 km        
Wing load: 36.7 lb/sq.ft / 179.0 kg/sq.m
Crew: 1
Armament: 2x MG 12,7mm Breda-SAFAT, 2x MG 7,7mm Breda-SAFAT