| C.202 Folgore | |
|---|---|
 C.202 of Regia Aeronautica 168ª Squadriglia, 54° Stormo CT c. 1943 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Macchi Aeronautica |
| Designer | |
| Status | Out of service |
| Primary users | Regia Aeronautica |
| Number built | 1,150[1] |
| History | |
| Introduction date | July 1941 |
| First flight | 10 August 1940 |
| Retired | 1951 |
| Developed from | Macchi C.200 |
| Developed into | Macchi C.205 |
The Macchi C.202 Folgore (Italian "thunderbolt") is an Italian fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Macchi Aeronautica. It was operated mainly by the Regia Aeronautica (RA; Royal (Italian) Air Force) in and around the Second World War. According to aviation author David Mondey, the Folgore has been considered to be one of the best wartime fighters to serve in large numbers with the Regia Aeronautica.[2]
The C.202 was designed by a team headed by the company's chief of design, Italian aeronautics engineer Mario Castoldi. As per company tradition, Macchi aircraft designed by Mario Castoldi received the "C" letter in their model designation, hence the Folgore is commonly referred to as the C.202 or MC.202. The C.202 was a development of the earlier C.200 Saetta, powered by an Italian-built version of the German Daimler-Benz DB 601Aa engine and featuring a redesigned fuselage for greater streamlining.[3][4]
During July 1941, the Folgore went into service with the Regia Aeronautica. In combat, it very quickly proved itself to be an effective and deadly dogfighter against its contemporaries.[5][6] During its service life, the C.202 was deployed on all fronts in which Italy was involved.[7] During late 1941, it commenced offensive operations over Malta and in North Africa, where Italian and German forces were engaged in heavy combat against British and later American operations. The C.202 continued to be used in North Africa as late as mid-1943, by which point the type was withdrawn to support defensive efforts in Sicily and the Italian mainland following their invasion by Allied forces. It also saw limited use on the Eastern Front. Following the 1943 Armistice with Italy, the type was mostly used as a trainer aircraft. It was also operated by Croatia.
The Macchi C.202 was flown by almost all of the most successful Italian aces. During mid-1942, in North Africa, the Folgore achieved a ratio kill/loss better than that of the Messerschmitt Bf 109.[8][9] The Australian ace Clive Caldwell, who fought a wide variety of German, Italian and Japanese fighters during 1941–45, later stated that the C.202 was "one of the best and most undervalued of fighters".[10] The type also had well-known design flaws: in particular, like the C.200, the C.202 was prone to suddenly entering dangerous spins.[11] Its radios were also unreliable, routinely forcing pilots to communicate by waggling their wings. The C.202 was lightly armed relative to its contemporaries, with just a pair of machine guns that had a tendency for jamming. To improve its performance it was developed into its successor: the Macchi C.205 Veltro.
- ^ Skulski 2012, p. 12.
- ^ Mondey 2006, p. 155.
- ^ Angelucci and Matricardi 1978, p. 219.
- ^ Cattaneo 1966, pp. 3-4.
- ^ Sgarlato 1998, pp. 8–20.
- ^ Winchester 2004, p. 172.
- ^ Matricardi 2006, pp. 70–71.
- ^ "The Italian C202 & 205 Fighters – as Good as Many of the Top Line Fighters of WWII". warhistoryonline. 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
- ^ Palermo 2014, pp. 255–264.
- ^ Dunning 2000, p. 209.
- ^ Duma 2007, pp. 232–233.