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SEM Model 1/72 Macchi C.205N2 Orione (Orion) by Richard Mendes |
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The Aeronautica Macchi C.205N (Nuovo – new) Orione (Orion) prototype interceptors were the last built and flown progeny of shapely fighter aircraft designed by Mario Castoldi (1888-1968) commencing with the 1937 radial engine C.200 Saetta (lightning flash) onwards to the 1940 and 1942 C.202 Folgore (thunderbolt) and C.205V Veltro (greyhound) Daimler-Benz DB 601 and 605 V-12 inlines, the latter for all intents an up-powered variant of the former. As Macchi's entry into the 1942 Regia Aeronautica Italia (RAI) Serie 5 DB 605-powered interceptor fighter competition against the FIAT G.55 Centauro (Centaur) and Reggiane Re.2005 Sagittario (Sagittarius) the first C.205N (later N-1) prototype MM 499 featured a longer fuselage coupled with new and longer main wings with greater surface areas to improve high altitude performance, first flying on November 1, 1942 at Lonate Pozzolo, Varese at the hands of Guido Carestiato on January 19, 1943 it was flown to RAI Guidonia Montecelio airfield for flight testing. The N1 and N2 designations referring to the first two prototypes, MM.499 and MM.500. Fitted with four nose-mounted 12.7mm Breda SAFAT machine guns and a Mauser MG 151 20mm canon firing through the propeller hub as per the original RAI Serie 5 armament specification the C.205N's maneuverability at height was less than its competitors although still judged to be an excellent aircraft, and so the RA placed an ordered for 1,200 aircraft, half to be constructed by Macchi (MM 94819-95418) and the other half by Breda (MM 93319-93918), eventually cancelling this order on March 20, 1943 for 300 Macchi C.205Vs, the type having entered into RAI service during February. The second prototype C.205N-2 MM 500 armed with two nose-mounted Breda SAFATs and a propeller hub MG.151 canon plus two wing-mounted MG.151 canons addressed the issues of the N1 and first flew on May 19, 1943 then subsequently transferred to Guidonia for flight testing along with MM 499 N-1 Orion transferred to RAI Furbara airfield on the western Italian coast for gunnery trials during the summer of 1943, it having been pressed into service defending Rome. Both the N1 and N2 were heavier than the C.205V, although both planes carried the same powerplant as the C.205V and thus maximum speed was reduced although at higher altitude, due to greater wing area, maneuverability was enhanced. Following the September 8, 1943 Italian Armistice the two Orions (N1, N2) were left in situ the one at Guidonia where it was destroyed during heavy boming and the other at Furbara. |
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The 2017-vintage SEM Model 72014 Aeronautica Macchi C.205N-1 and 72012 2016-vintage C.205N-2 Orion with resin and clear pliable plastic parts, former with machined brass gun barrel parts, are the only model kits in any scale of these lesser known C.205 variants, given the recent passing of SEM Model's owner these kits will be increasingly harder to come by though fortunately I'd purchased one of each when first came on the market. As previewed in STORMO Magazine, Phillipe Martin built the C.205N-2 soon after its release encountering the same issues he had whilst building it, to save on construction resources my C.205N-1 and N-2 models were built concurrently.
The SEM Model C.205N kits lacked assembly documentation, relying on past experience building similar models was necessary, the closest being the all-plastic Hasegawa C.202 kit with its "box" fuselage cockpit flight deck arrangement. The conical-shaped cockpit instrument panels needed to be glued on rectangular shims the assemblies then glued on the tall ends of one-piece cockpit flight deck platforms that fitted inside the fuselages. The shims were inconsistent in size as well as unsuitable for proper alignment of the instrument panels inside the fuselages, belatedly realizing this the assemblies were pried off the platforms, shims as well, instrument panels aligned and glued directly on fuselages insides with cut to fit styrene plastic retainers. The platform bottoms were too thick, extensive cut trim and sanding work being necessary for them to clear one-piece model mainwings, snugly fit along bottoms of glued-on detailed cockpit parts mounted either side of fuselage interiors, not easy work considering some of the cockpit parts flat just didn’t want to stay glued on the fuselage interiors but after much four-letter persuading finally did!
The C.205N fuselage halve joins for both kits were good though puttying and sanding to cover up resin sprue lump and bump spots was necessary, mainwing-fuselage root joins particularly those for the C.205N-1 were acceptable though requiring good deal of trimming and sanding work followed up with lots of fill puttying particularly along the C.205N-2 topside joins. The fuselage main landing gear wheel wells sport extensive though generic molded-in rear engine plumbing detail identical to that of the 2017-vintage SEM Model 72018 Macchi C.204 kit, using Aero Detail 15 Macchi C.200/202/205 reference photos as guides hand painted them over with an assortment of Testors "utility" well as Flat Black and White "special mix" enamel paints. The C.205N kits came with well-detailed mainwing landing gear parts but lacked retraction arms for the wheel mount struts and inner wheel well covers well as Pitot tubes, fabricated them from styrene sheet plastic. The kits did come with Venturi tubes that for the C.205N-1 mounted in front of the engine coolant radiator ala most C.202s that for the C.205N-2 surmised to have been mounted on the center starboard fuselage side forward of the cockpit windscreen ala some C.202s well as C.205Vs. Painting the SEM Model C.205N kits was straightforward; mainwings, fuselage halves and flight crew interior parts Humbrol 78 Matt Cockpit Green + Testors Flat White shading replicating Verde Anticorrosione, exterior topsides Humbrol 91 Matt Black Green + 36% Testors Flat White enamel shading replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2 undersides Testors 1726 Flat Light Sea Gray + 36% Flat White enamel shading replicating Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 enamels, white fuselage identification band Testors Flat White, Aluminum, Bronze, Olive Green, Red, Rubber, Rust et. al. flat enamels, Testors Flat Black and White “special” mix for black surfaces employed as detailing colors. The SEM Model kit decals were well made though lacked Distintivo di Guerra rudder crosses, extracted spares from SKY Models 72-014 Macchi C.202 (N-2), 72-035 C.205 (N-1), decal sheets, they were a tad thick though few problems encountered whilst applying them on the entire model subsequently over-sprayed with Testors Model Master Semi-Gloss Clear Lacquer Finish thinned 50% with Klean Strip Lacquer Thinner (WAY cheaper than Model Master thinner and just as good), prefer semi-gloss finish over flat, detail “pops out” better plus aesthetically more pleasing in appearance. As a footnote; the SEM Model C.205N-1 kit came with a beautifully detailed cockpit instrument panel optional to the resin casting, have saved it for use in a future Aeronautica Macchi aircraft kit build. |
Aircraft: Macchi C.205N2 Manufacturer: Aeronautica Macchi S.p.A. Type: Fighter Year: 1943 Engine: Damiler Benz DB 605A-1, 12-cylinder V, liquid-cooled 1,475hp Wingspan: 36 ft 10 29/32 in (11.25m) Length: 31 ft 3 15/16 in (9.549 m) Height: 10 ft 7 15/16 in (3.25 m) Weight: 8,364 lb (3,794 kg) (Loaded) Maximum Speed: 390 mph (627 km/h) at 23,000 ft (7,000 m) Ceiling: 35,400 ft (10,800 m) Range: 590 miles (950 km) Armament: 2 x 12.7mm (0.5 in) SAFAT machine guns + 3 x 20 mm cannons Crew: 1
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April, 2020 STORMO! © 2020 |