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| 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.
 | A three-view drawing (1640 x 1200) |
| Ronald, e-mail, 20.09.2009 08:08 A Wikipedia link of the MC 202 compares the terminal dive speed of the Bf 109F-4 at 906 km /h with the C 202 at 920 kph.
So, I apologize for saying it was the red-line speed when I should have said terminal dive velocity. I'm no expert on mach numbers but it should be about .75 I think (.72 for the F-4). Perhaps the figure elsewhere of 980 kph for the Bf 109F-4 or 609 mph (mach .8) just like the later Re 2005 Sagittario, had weighed on my mind as the terminal number.
The further down this road we go, the cloudier it gets.
When I stumbled on that link, I was really searching for more on the rate of fire for the Macchi cowl 12.7 mm guns.
I mean how could their synchronized rate be 575 r /m as published if the faster IJAAF Ho-103 dropped below that when cowl mounted? What I found there was even worse. So I'm still looking. Sometimes I think they give the unsynchronized rate in every case. Or else the Breda didn't have as strong a resemblance as the Japanese Type 1 to their Browning roots. If the P-40B got 425 r /m for a 750 r /m .50 cal. and the Ki 44 had cowl guns closer to the Breda an the same ammo had wing Ho-103s that got 900 r /m. So how come it's cowl Ho-103s didn't even get half that rate, but the 700 r /m Breda goes through 370 rounds in 35 seconds synchronized? That's what? 634.3 r /m!! 575 r /m looks better already. I know, its' all in the engine rpm.
If my 571.7 mph conversion is off, let me know. reply | | Leo Rudnicki, e-mail, 24.08.2009 05:27 I would like to know where these "red-line" figures were sourced and if the corresponding Mach numbers are available, please. reply | | Ronald, e-mail, 24.08.2009 04:22 Redline in the dive was 572 mph. reply | | Stratomunchkin, 05.06.2009 16:52 Seriously, with that kind of armament it's no wonder it performed worse than it could have. A shame, as technically it was not a bad design. reply | |
| | Peter C. Geere, e-mail, 20.03.2009 22:53 This was more or less the Italian equivalent of a Spitfire. Mean machine! reply | | Robert Axelrod, e-mail, 24.12.2008 01:10 I have been searching for plueprints for this awesome WWII fighter; but, I have been unable to find any. Could you help me to locate them? Thank You, Bonny reply | | Robert Axelrod, e-mail, 24.12.2008 01:07 I have been searching for plueprints for this awesome WWII fighter; but, I have been unable to find any. Could you help me to locate them? Thank You, Bonny reply | | edik154, 18.07.2007 19:29 You can see it in "Museo Storico dell'Aeronautica Militare", Vigna di Valle - Rome). reply |
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