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Hasegawa + Italian Kits 1/72 Macchi C.205M Prototype by Richard Mendes |
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When a more powerful version of the German Daimler Benz became availlable, the last Italian fighters of the war were built. These aircraft were on a par with the best American, British, and German aircraft. The Macchi MC.205 was the first Italian airplane to be powered by the new engine, and it was also the first 'Series 5' aeroplane to see substantial service before the 1943 armistice. The prototype took to the air on April 19, 1942. It was derived from the MC.202. The only apparent difference between the MC.205 and its preedecessor was the engine housing. The MC.205 also had two cyclindrical oil coolers on each side, while the earlier airplane had a single belly radiator. Because of the greater power of the Daimler Benz DB 605 (1,475 hp), the MC.205 was a far better plane than the MC.202. The prototype reached a speed of 407 mph (655 km/h), and it could gain 20,000 ft (6,096 m) in 4 minutes and 52 seconds. The MC.205 was the first Italian fighter to carry 20 mm cannons on the wings, indispensable for bomber interception. This was the first Italian airplane to be as heavily armed as those of other air forces, and with the bigger and more powerful engine, the MC.205 was an extremely manoeuvrable aeroplane, especially at medium and low altitudes. Large-scale production was ordered at once, but production was slowed down by scarcity of strategic materials and engines. Between October 1942 and September 1943 about 200 aircraft were built. Macchi continued to build the airplane even after the 1943 armistice and another 112 airplanes were built before the assembly line was put out of commission by Allied bombing raids. All these aircraft were delivered to Mussolini's ANR. The aircraft became operational in 1943 and was used chiefly in the Mediterranean and in Sicily at the time of the Allied invasion. The period of greatest activity, however, was after the 1943 armistice. At this time thirty-four aircraft were used by the Allies, especially on the Yugoslavian front, while in the north there were 29 Macchi MC.205s in addition to the 112 new ones that were already built. All these aircraft remained in active service until the summer of 1944. A few MC.205s were kept in service after the war. They were assigned to the 5th Fighter Group until 1947 and were then reassigned to flying schools, where they remained operational until as late as 1951. Macchi C.205M Production of the C.205V resumed after WWII for the AMI (as an advanced trainer) and Egypt. It's interesting to note that although Egypt received later-mark Spitfires, supplied to both Egypt and Israel (via Czechoslovakia in Operation Velvetta) during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, the Egyptians chose the Fiat G.55A and Macchi C.205V in quantity. Meanwhile, the long term prospects of supply of the DB.605/RA.1050 dimmed over-time and in an attempt to meet further demand both Macchi and Fiat studied the prospects of mating a Rolls-Royce Merlin to the C.205V and the G.55. The Macchi design, christened C.205M did not go beyond the wooden mock-up stage while Fiat developed the G.59. It should be noted that the Merlin powered G.59 never matched the performance levels of either the DB-powered G.55 or G.56, neither in straight-line speed, climb or maneuverability, despite the powerplant providing greater horse-power, indeed, in steep dives and violent combat maneuverers the Merlin had a tendency to cut out. Similarly, it is doubtful whether the C.205M would have matched the performance levels of the C.205V and perhaps recognising these significant shortcomings, Macchi ended further development of the plane. |
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Several years ago Italian Kits Wings marketed the IKW 7206 Macchi C.205M (Merlin powered) Resin Conversion Kit for the Hasegawa 1/72 Macchi C.202 kit, one of which I purchased in 2017 and completed the conversion on March 28, 2019, in Aeronautica Militare Italiana livery. The conversion kit includes a resin cast engine and instructions. Please note Hasegawa did not market a 1/72 C.205V, although Italeri has (1227). Also please note that although several post war C.205Vs were in fact C.202 conversions (mating a RA.1050 to a C.202 airframe), the tail-wheel of the C.205M was meant to partially retract into the rear fuselage as in the C.205V. |
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Aircraft: Macchi C.205V Manufacturer: Aeronautica Macchi S.p.A. Type: Fighter Year: 1943 Engine: Damiler Benz DB 605A-1, 12-cylinder V, liquid-cooled 1,475hp Wingspan: 34 ft 8 1/2 in (10.59m) Length: 29 ft 1 in (8.85 m) Height: 10 ft (3.05 m) Weight: 7,120 lb (3,224 kg) (Loaded) Maximum Speed: 403 mph (650 km/h) at 24,300 ft (7,400 m) Ceiling: 37,200 ft (11,350 m) Range: 646 miles (1,040 km) Armament: 2 x 12.7mm (0.5 in) SAFAT machine guns, 2 x 20 mm cannons Crew: 1 |
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June, 2019 STORMO! © 2019 |