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Hasegawa 1/48 Macchi MC.202 Folgore Italian Ace Giulio Reiner by Jean Barby 
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This was probably the best Italian fighter of the Second World War. It was an excellent airplane, it was used in several theatres of operation, and it was produced in large quantity.
More than 1,100 aircraft were built in little more than two years. Better planes were designed, such as the 'Series 5' (Macchi C.205, Fiat G.55, and Caproni-Reggiane Re.2005), but
very few of them were built, and they arrived too late in the war to have any significant effect. The prototype first took to the air on August 10, 1940. Test results showed that Italy had caught up with Britain and Germany in the field of fighter airplanes. It was a fine airplane and very easy to handle. It was also fast and reached high altitude rapidly. The Macchi C.202 marked a fundamental step ahead. Until then all the combat airplanes in Italy had been built around radial engines, and earlier Italian fighters had been limited by the relatively low power of these engines, as well as by their aerodynamic weaknesses. The decision to use radial engines had been made in the second half of the 1930s (for safety/durability reasons), notwithstanding the excellent racing results that Italian aircraft with in-line engines had obtained in that period. The Macchi MC.202 was the first of this new line of airplanes. It was designed by Mario Castoldi, who had designed the MC.200. The new airplane kept many features of its predecessors, including the wing-system and tail-plane, but the fuselage was changed and became extremely elegant and streamlined. The two 12.5 mm (0.5 caliber) machine guns provided sufficient firepower until the appearance of the American four engine heavy bombers. The Macchi C.202's operational career began in Libya in November 1941. It was later used in the rest of Africa, in the Balkans, in the Mediterranean and in Russia. After the 1943 armistice, the MC.202 remained in service, with the Allies in the south and with Mussolini's ANR in the north. Surviving aircraft were used as trainers until 1948.[1]
Giuilio Reiner was born in Como on 12 April 1915. A conscientious student and an enthusiastic athlete, by the time he obtained his diploma in 1935 he was already in possession of a private pilot's licence from the Como Aero Club. He then volunteered to join the Regia Aeronautica as a temporary officer, and on completing his training was assigned to 199a Squadriglia Bombardamento Marittimo (Maritime Bomber Squadron), flying S.55 flying boats. Giving up his rank of Sottotenente in order to attend the ‘Rex’ course at the Accademia Aeronautica, Reiner performed brilliantly (ranked 9th out of 303 students), and in July 1939 he once more acquired the grade of Sottotenente, although this time as a permanent officer. He then joined CR.42-equipped 73a Squadriglia, 9° Gruppo, 4° Stormo, and at the end of June 1940 he moved with the unit to Sicily to participate in the opening raids on Malta. The following month the Stormo moved to North Africa, where Reiner scored his first two kills. The first of these successes was claimed during a routine armed reconnaissance patrol along the Allied frontline on the evening of 12 October 1940, Reiner accompanying his gruppo commander, the famous Maggiore Ernesto Botto. The latter had returned to active duty in spite of having lost his right leg as a result of a wound inflicted in combat over Spain exactly three years earlier. Botto had subsequently earned a Gold Medal for Military Valour, as well as the unique nickname "Gamba di Ferro" (Iron Leg). Having completed an uneventful patrol, the two pilots were approaching their El Adem base when they spotted three Blenheims preparing to bomb the airfield. They immediately attacked. Following a long and drawn-out encounter, Reiner was credited with two bombers destroyed and Botto one. RAF records fail to confirm these claims, however, stating that three No 55 Sqn Blenheims returned to base with 'battle damage'. The Stormo was sent back to Italy on Christmas Day 1940 in order to commence its re-equipment with C.200s. Prior to Reiner seeing further combat with the Macchi, he was transferred to the Centro Sperimentale (Experimental Test Centre) at Guidonia, where new prototypes were tested. Remaining there for over a year, he was heavily involved in the shipboard catapult-launch trials of the Re.2000. In July 1942 Reiner returned to take command of 73a Squadriglia, which had been supporting the renewed Axis campaign in North Africa since late May. During the course of his second tour he shot down seven aircraft (four Spitfires, a P-40, a Boston and a Wellington) in the space of six months. Fleeing from Tripoli in January 1943, 73a Squadriglia next saw action over Sicily in June. Promoted to the rank of Capitano, Reiner claimed a P-38 on 13 July, which took his tally to ten individual kills, eight probables and three destroyed on the ground. Following the Armistice, he shared in the fortunes of 4o Stormo within the Aeronautica Co-Belligerante, seeing action in the Balkans. Eventually attaining the rank of Maggiore due to his wartime service, Reiner ended the conflict with a Silver Medal for Military Valour and an Iron Cross, Second Class, with two citations for further Silver Medals being lost in the chaos following the Armistice - this was not untypical during those final months of war. Giulio Reiner, who left the service in 1949, continues to work as an engineer in Como to this day (August 2000), regularly flying at the local aero club. [2] References [1] Angelucci E. and P. Matricardi, "World Aircraft, World War II – Part I", Sampson Low Guides, 1978 [2] Apostolo, G. and G. Massimello, "Italian Aces of World War 2", No.34, Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2000
Italian Aces of World War 2
 [3] Alegi, G. and B. Catalanotto, "Wings of Italy: The Italian Air Force in Original WW II Colour Pictures", 3rd Ed., GAE, 1999.
Wings of Italy: The Italian Air Force in Original WW II Colour Pictures
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This model was built for a customer. Retraction arms were added for the ventral doors and the venturi in front of the radiator. Stormo Decals - STRM48003
Italian WWII Aces Part III Decals - STRM48003
were of great help (the customer's choice was Reiner aircraft) and went on like a dream. I really liked the blue stencils on the fin. Special Note: regarding Stormo decals, in the text an errata exists in regard to Reiner's MC.202; the leading edge slat was replaced not the aileron (see photo below). Best regards to all Stormo friends, Jean.
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Aircraft: Macchi MC.202 Manufacturer: Aeronautica Macchi S.p.A. Type: Fighter Year: 1941 Engine: Daimler Benz DB 601A-1, 12-cylinder V, liquid-cooled, 1,175hp Wingspan: 34 ft 8 1/2 in (10.57m) Length: 29 ft 1 in (8.85 m) Height: 9 ft 11 1/2 in (3.02 m) Weight: 6,480 lb (2,937 kg) (Loaded) Maximum Speed: 372 mph (600 km/h) at 18,050 ft (5,500 m) Ceiling: 37,700 ft (11,500 m) Range: 475 miles (765 km) Armament: 2 x 12.7 mm SAFATs (0.5 in) Crew: 1 |
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May, 2009 STORMO! © 2009 |
