One of the best Italian fighters of the
mid-war years, Mario Castoldi's Macchi
C.202 Folgore (thunderbolt) was
developed from the radial-engined
C.200, but was powered by a Daimler-
Benz DB 601 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 lowwing
monoplane with inwardretracting
landing gear and an armament
of two 12.7mm Breda-
SAFAT machine-guns in the nose;
there was also provision for two 7.7mm guns in the wings. Engine
production was slow and severely
delayed the build-up of the Folgore
in service.
The aircraft underwent very little
change and development during its
life span, and was produced in 11
series. It eventually 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
amounted to about 1,500, of
which 392 were produced by the parent
company and the remainder by
Breda. In combat the Folgore proved
to be well-matched with the Supermarine
Spitfire Mk.V in performance,
but was badly undergunned and,
although slightly superior to American
fighters such as the Bell P-39 Airacobra,
this armament deficiency prevented
Folgore pilots from knocking
down many Allied bombers.
Ultimate wartime development of
the C.200/202 series of Italian fighters
was the Daimler Benz-powered C.205;
only 66 were in service by the time of
Italy's withdrawal from the Axis. The
C.205V Veltro (greyhound) would
have been capable of meeting most
Allied fighters on equal terms.
