The Macchi C.202 was the contemporary of the Bf.109F and the Spitfire Mk.V, and in certain aspects the aircraft was superior to both, such as in the rate of climb, dive speed and agility. Both the Macchi and the Sptifire shared a common lineage in the Schneider Trophy racers. In fact the Supermarine (Spitfire) designs were largely influenced by the Macchi M.39. The C.202 was used extensively in North Africa, the Soviet Union and in defense of the homeland and was Italy’s best fighter of WWII, although more powerful fighters had been produced later in the war. Over 1,100 C.202s were built in little over two years. Although often overlooked, the two Breda 0.50 in caliber SAFATs provided adequate firepower and had double the range of the contemporary English fighter 0.303 MGs and greater hitting power. In fact no formal request for heavier armament was made until the appearance of the American four-engine heavy bombers. The Folgore (Lighting) was well liked by its pilots and its only real weakness was that too few were manufactured.
Construction
For assembly, I used the Hasegawa 1/48 scale N° 0944
. For additional detail : Ultracast - exhaust N°48119, seat with harness N° 48173
, radial wheels N°48175
. A resin engine was added by Hi-Tech DB 601. For the details of the cockpit, the landing gear, I used plastic card and the brass thread (refer to the photos below).
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