Twins Tango - A Regia Aeronautica Macchi C.205 Bifusoliera
Rudely Dispatches A U.S.A.A.F. North American P-82B
Somewhere Over The Algerian/Tunisian Border, August 28, 1945
A not too ridiculous combat scene had Axis forces remained in North Africa past spring 1943, a Regia Aeronautica Macchi C.205 Bifusoliera (twin fuselage) long range fighter rudely dispatches a "tropicalized" U.S.A.A.F. North American P-82B Twin Mustang attack aircraft over the Algerian/Tunisian Border in August 1945.
Graphic images of the C.205 Bifusoliera were provided to me by Mr. Ferdinando D'Amico in December 1997, presumably based on wartime Aeronautica Macchi (also known as AerMacchi, especially after WWII) drawings depicting a twin fuselage variant of the C.205V "Veltro" (Greyhound) fighter, last and best of the 1937-1944 C.200, 202, 205 production series.
Little else is known about this fascinating C.205 variant, it can be surmised though such a design would facilitate greater operational range, firepower capability; four 12.7 mm (50 calibre) machine guns, five 20 mm cannons would have been installed in the C.205 Bifusoliera, most impressive compared to just six 50 caliber machine guns fitted in the P-82B, twenty of which were built in 1945, all too late for WWII.
