This aeroplane was undoubtedly the best fighter Italy had ready at the beginning of the war. The Macchi MC.200 was the first combat aeroplane designed by Mario Castoldi, who had built a series of important racing aircraft. Until 1941, when the MC.202 appeared, the MC.200 was the main front-line Italian fighter. It was used on all fronts and proved to be agile and sturdy, and although it was armed with two machine guns, the 0.5 caliber guns provided greater hitting power and a longer trajectory than contemproary 0.303 guns found on British aircraft. Few modifications were carried out during the course of its production, and a total of 1,151 planes were built between June 1939 and July 1942.

Mario Castoldi began the project in 1937, and his experience in building seaplane racers proved invaluable (he designed the Macchi M.39, which won the Schneider Trophy in 1926, and his most recent plane, the MC.72, set a world speed record for its class in 1934 which still holds today). His MC.200 design combined the massive nose of the radial engine with a small slender fuselage, and the result was an aeroplane that was extremely advanced aerodynamically. The aeroplane was all-metal, and the under-carriage was retractable. The first models had a closed cockpit, while later ones had an open cockpit with a windshield and rear fairing. Power was provided by an 870 hp Fiat A.74 RC 38 14-cylinder radial engine, which drove a three-blade metal propeller with variable pitch. Standard armament at the time consisted of two 12.7 mm machine guns behind the engine cowling and synchronized to fire through the propeller disc.

The prototype took to the air on December 24, 1937, but it took some time to resolve all the problems (including initial stability difficulties). It was accepted by the authorities in 1938 and went into large-scale production. The first aeroplanes started coming off the assembly line in the summer of 1939, and when Italy entered the war, there were 144 aircraft in service with fighter units. The Macchi MC.200 reached full operational efficiency only late in 1940. The profile of the wing was changed for aerodynamic reasons, and the sliding canopy was removed from the cockpit so that the pilot could bail out more easily. The aeroplane was first used in large-scale operations on the Greece-Albania front, where the aeroplane was in direct competition with the British Hurricane, in which it was superior to. The MC.200 later saw duty in Africa and Russia, and in these operations proved to be sturdy and reliable. In Russian skies the Saetta racked-up impressive dog-fighting statistics with the CSI (Corpo Spedezione Italiana) claiming 88 Soviet aircraft destroyed in air combat for the loss of only 15 Saettas.

When the newer MC.202s appeared, the MC.200 was gradually reassigned to other duties. It saw service in attack, escort, and, in Italy, interceptor missions. In September 1943, most of the 52 survivors went south to join the Allies, while a few went north. They were used as trainers and remained in service until 1947.

This is the Pacific Coast Models 1/32 scale Aermacchi C.200 "Saetta". The model is C.200 369^ Squadriglia, 22°Gruppo Autonomo, Stalino, December 1941. The personal markings are those of commander Major Borzoni. I built this kit with the well known "poached egg" camouflage scheme in n°2 - page 5 (Ali e Colori). And I personnaly examined this camouflage scheme present on the Macchi 200 (54°Stormo) preserved at the Caproni museum in Trento.

Colours and Markings
As mentioned above, the camouflage of this plane is the "poached egg" camouflage scheme. This scheme comprises a base of Verde Mimetico 2 (dark green ), Giallo Mimetico 4 (mimetic sand), Bruno Mimetico (mimetic brown ) and Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 (Light Blue Gray) undersides.

I used exclusively a mixture of Tamiya basic colours, Gunze and Humbrol. Decals are from the box and from Spada Decals, Tauro Model and Skymodels.

References

- Aer.Macchi C.200 - Ali e Colori n°2 - La Bancarella Aeronautica
- Aer.Macchi C.200 - Ali d' Italia - n°8 - La Bancarella Aeronautica
- Stem Mucchi - Nino Arena . I caccia a motore radiale.Macchi 200
- Edizioni Ateneo. Nicola Malizia. Ali sulla steppa