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.

Aermacchi MC.202 Folgore Article

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.

Gallery

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

Macchi C.202 Folgore

First flown on 24 December 1937 by Giuseppe Burei, the prototype featured an enclosed cockpit and retractable tailwheel, both features being disliked by most service pilots and were eliminated from the MC.200A1 initial production model.

The Mario Castoldi designed radial-powered Fiat C.200 Saetta (lightning) arrived in service in 1939. The first C.200 unit, the 4° Stormo, expressed a preference for the CR.42 and reverted to the biplane in 1940.

Aermacchi MC.200 Article

The MC.200A2 was equipped two 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine-guns in the wings.

When Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940, two home-based stormi were combat-ready with the C.200, being first flown in action over Malta in September that year.

The C.200, named the Saetta (lightning), equiped the 1°, 2°, 3°, 4° (in mid-1941) and 54° Stormi, and the 8°, 12°, 13°, 21″ and 22° Gruppi.

The attrition suffered by all Italian air force units quickly reduced the number of C.200s. Some 51 Saettas of the 22° Gruppo operated in the Odessa zone of the Eastern Front from August 1941 onwards, proving capable of matching the older Soviet fighters in the early stages of that campaign. By the time of the Italian armistice in September 1943 the Regia Aeronautica’s total inventory of serviceable C.200s stood at only 33.
Production by Macchi, Breda and SAI Ambrosini totaled 1,153 aircraft in 25 series, and other variants were the MC.200AS tropicalised fighter and the MC.2000B able to operate as a fighter-bomber with 320 kg (706 lb) of bombs or as a long-range escort fighter with drop tanks. The MC.201 variant was to have had the 746-kW (1,000-hp) Fiat A.76 RC 40 in a modified fuselage.

Because all three Aeroplane Works within a range of German bombers were, a new plant was built at the village of Kunovice in South Moravia. There were 70 production MB-200s built there.

Macchi MC 200 Saetta
Engine: Fiat A. 74 RC.38, 858 hp
Length: 26ft 10.5 in / 8.19 m
Height: 11.483 ft / 3.5 m
Wingspan: 34 ft 8.7in / 10.58 m
Wing area: 180.835 sq.ft / 16.8 sq.m
MTOW: 5711.0 lb / 2590.0 kg
Normal T/O weight: 2200 kg / 4,850 lb
Weight empty: 4178.5 lb / 1895.0 kg
Max. speed: 271 kt / 502 km/h at 14,765ft
Cruising speed: 246 kt / 455 km/h
Service ceiling: 29199 ft / 8900 m
Wing load: 31.57 lb/sq.ft / 154.0 kg/sq.m
Max range: 470 nm / 870 km
Crew: 1
Armament: 2x MG 12,7mm Breda-SAFAT, 2x MG 7,7mm

Macchi C.200 Saetta