US Grumman F6F HELLCAT COBI 5883 - World War II 1:48 - kopie

You know that:

• In the 1930s, the command of the Italian Army was aware of the need to modernize the air force. Modern and fast aircraft of world manufacturers were equipped with in-line liquid-cooled engines, of which there were not enough in Italy.
• In 1936, Macchi Aeronautica, led by designer Mario Castoldi, was commissioned to develop a new type of fighter.
• M. Castoldi simply used an airframe of the older type C.200, which was of such high quality that there was nothing to improve on it, adjust the wings and the last thing left to solve was the engine. domestic production.
• A modified Alfa Romeo car engine was offered as a suitable solution, but modifications for a fighter aircraft were very demanding and expensive. The first prototype took off with an older but reliable Issota Fraschini engine.
• For subsequent series production, Alfa Romeo purchased a license for the production of Dailmler aircraft engines.
• The first flight took place on August 10, 1940 from Guidomia corporate airport. The prototype did not yet fully correspond to the planned serial form and had several unfinished and temporary solutions that were later to be removed, but as it happens with Italian technology, the temporary became the standard.
• Despite all its shortcomings, the Macchi C.202 was an extremely good aircraft.
• Allied pilots did not have much information about the Italian fighter, and the meeting in the sky in June 1943 over southern Italy was even more of a surprise for them.
• A total of 1,150 units were produced in two factories.
• The last aircraft were retired from the Italian Air Force in 1951.
• Only two specimens have survived to this day. One of them is on display at the National Air and Spare Museum in Washington.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: wingspan 10.58 m, length 8.85 m, height 3.49 m
• weight of the empty machine 2,491 kg
• maximum take-off weight 2,930 kg
• drive unit in-line 12-cylinder engine Alfa Romeo R.A. 1000 R.C.41-I Monsone of 864 kW
• climb rate 18.1 m/s
• maximum speed of 600 km/h
• maximum flight level 11,500 m
• fuel tank capacity 355 l + 82 l in additional internal storage
• range 765 km
• main armament 2x machine gun Breda-Safat MGs caliber 12.7 mm + 2x machine gun Breda-Safat MGs caliber 7.7 mm
• additional armament 2x 50 kg aerial bomb
• crew 1

From the memoirs of RAF pilot T. C. Parker, 242 Squadron:

"When I first met the Macchi C.202 in the air it was a shock to me. Its maneuverability was fascinating, a real dance between the clouds and when flown by an experienced pilot it became a very dangerous machine. Our only advantage was that the Italian pilots had no motivation to fight and mostly preferred to withdraw."