Macchi C.202 Early versions

[Nikec]

First of all, hello everyone

Since this forum is specialized for Italian aircraft, I am contacting you with a request. Namely, I have Macchi c.202 in 1.48 scale in work. And since I would like to build this one

I am interested in certain details. At home I have profiles of this aircraft from Kagero and from MMP Books. However, the two have different profiles. What is drawn at MMP books as an early version, is in Kagero as a late version. Therefore, if someone can explain this to me, I would be very grateful for what details I need to pay attention to in order to get the desired version. As far as I've seen, they differ in the details around the cabin, engine, lower part of the wings, fuselage and tail, but im not sure what is accurate.

Another thing I'm interested in. I have two books of this plane at home, and none of them have photos of the early versions, that is, the versions when it was still completely green. Does anyone have any of these photos?

Thanks for the answers

[Editor]

Hello,
Welcome to Stormo.

Here are some scans from Maurizio Di Terlizzi's book "The Macchi C.202 Folgore A Technical Guide" Valiant Publishing with changes you can make to your kit to turn it into a Serie I. The main details are the lack of an aerial mast and sand filter. Early radios fit to the C.202 were receivers. In the first scan note the red numerals and the descriptions provided below the drawing. The second scan provides a brief description of the changes to Serie I-III. And the third scan lists the MM for each production batch. I couldn't find a photo of 71-2.

My comments about the kit profile are: the serial number provided in the kit for 71-2 is MM. 7860 which makes it a Serie I machine built by Breda. The camo schemes for tropical C.202s varied between Breda and Macchi. The profile depicts a Macchi scheme. Strangely I don't have photos of Breda built C.202s in the single tone (dark green) scheme, but I believe Breda built Macchi's were likely finished in the same way as the tropical machines (see the last two scans in this post) with fuselage green not curving below the forward and rear fuselage. Also Serie I machines were built from July 1941 - Apr 1942, early planes were likely finished in the Serie Memetica colors i.e., green=Verde Mimetico 2 (34092). Also note that Serie II planes (10) came off the assembly line ahead of Breda built Serie I machines.

[Nikec]

Thanks for the reply. I can see that I will have a lot of corrections to make on the model to make it look as it should. This model from hasegawa is actually made to make late versions.

[Editor]

The corrections needed to turn the Hasegawa kit into a Serie I machine don't require allot of work. Just note, in the profile you posted, the (yellow) oxygen charge (8) below and aft of the cockpit needs to be further down next to the red ground-test power socket - fill-in the kit etched oxygen intake and use a decal for this part if the kit has one. The cooling slots (1) need to be removed (lightly sand) and you need to add a hot water outlet tube (4). From the top view (see the drawing below) remove the wing root 40lt fuel filler caps. The port side fuel filter cooling inlet needs to be filled-in. The early windscreens were not armored - the Hasegawa kit comes with armored and unarmored windscreens. Yes the Hasegawa kit is for later C.202s.

At the end of the day, building a model or small scale static replica is about having fun and learning something new. Most people don't make all the changes listed here.

[dennismcc]

Great information for hopefully a 1/32 Italeri C.202 sometime soon

Cheers

Dennis

[Nikec]

Thank you for informacion. Flaps that are intended for armament on the wings. It needs to be removed?? I have version 202, which is intended for the late version and has quite a few openings on the wings.

[Editor]

I updated the drawings above. Yes remove the 2 x 7.7mm gun access panel, recharge hatch and gun port. See the drawings above.

[MDriskill]

I'm also very interested in this particular machine...to me the combination of colors and features is even more beautiful than most C.202's! So thanks for the great info posted so far. A couple of points and accompanying questions...

+ As noted above, the Eduard kit notes the serial number of "71-2" as MM.7860, making it the second Breda "Serie I" machine built in summer 1941. But it also appears as profile no. 6 in Brioschi's "Ali e Colori" no. 4, with the serial MM.7760. Which would make it a Macchi "Serie III" aircraft, built several weeks later. Based on discussions on the forum, might this affect the cockpit finish color? Would any external details have been different?




+ This photo has appeared in several books. It might show an early machine in VOS over GAC camo, with a "Breda" demarcation line on the nose. But I'm not aware of other similar photos, and with the rest of the airframe not visible it's hard to be sure. I lean toward "71-2" being Macchi-built MM.7760 for now though.




+ If anyone has a photo of "71-2" that would obviously be great! No matter which way you go...alas, it's "just a profile" for now .

[Editor]

Here's the production figures organized by the aircraft manufactures to help those following along, otherwise this discussion gets confusing (ref. ADI #22):



Good eye, Aermacchi C.202 MM.7760 makes more sense especially when you examine 17o Gr. machines in the photos below. Brioschi was reliable (very likely an error by Eduard). And good photo of Gorrini's Breda Built C.202, likely a late production Serie I machine finished in the Tavola 10 colors - a very rare photo of an early-built Breda C.202 in VOS2.

[Stefano]

This picture, by Dimensione Cielo - Immagini C3, p. 23, is the only known on the subject, and was taken as reference for the profile in Ali e Colori. Note #2 on undercarriage door. Not sure about spinner tip red colour, it cant't be compared with red ind. no. by this view; it could have been also green, depending on unit (Gruppo or Squadriglia) typical colour that I don't know. Other distinctive colours in RA were white, yellow and blue - this maybe too dark. Blades were a light-medium gray, similar to Grigio Mimetico, no factory logo. The aircraft is camouflaged VOS2 and GAC1. Fighters of 1° Stormo were sent to North Africa in late November 1941, to support Italian advance to Egypt, but before then they were adapted to African environment: sandfilter, wheel bay covers, etc. The VOS2 was covered with various patterns (soft and dense overspray, patches, wide stripes, etc) of an undefinite sand colour, most probably Giallo Mimetico 4. Nose yellow was overpainted white or camo; wingtips painted white. This particular aircraft was burned on 28 Dec 1941 during a British SAS raid at Wadi Tamet.
Stefano

[Stefano]

+ This photo has appeared in several books. It might show an early machine in VOS over GAC camo, with a "Breda" demarcation line on the nose. But I'm not aware of other similar photos, and with the rest of the airframe not visible it's hard to be sure. I lean toward "71-2" being Macchi-built MM.7760 for now though.

I confirm this is a typical demarcation line of Breda-built Macchi fighters. War period is rather late, i.e. by 1942 on, as propeller blades were black with yellow tips. The pilot is Ace Serg.M. Luigi Gorrini and is depicted before a transport flight by factory to his unit. Breda had then a curious way to camouflage, that sharply respected official orders. These said that camo for all land-based aircraft camo had to be solid VOS2 uppersurfaces, and if employed in Africa, spots of Nocciola Chiaro 4 had to be applied. This is the reason why the early Serie III D3 pattern of Aermacchi-built 202s. This pattern proved to be unsuitable for the environment, and soon Aermacchi inverted the colours (C2B-D2B pattern); this was much more effective on the desert. Breda instead dully continued to paint its Folgores all green, then overspray sand over almost all uppersurfaces, leaving small 'worms' or 'spiders' of the underlying green (D2-D2A). Rather time- and paint-consuming indeed, but that's the fact. Early, Breda used old stocks of paints it had, Verde Mimetico 53192 and Giallo Mimetico 3. Only in 1943 Breda adopted a more logical way to paint, with NC4 background and dense spots VOS2 (D2C).
Returning to the picture, I've never seen a combat 202 with solid VOS, at least by 1942, but likely that brand-new machine had still to receive the sand overspray.
Stefano

[MDriskill]

Thank you Vince and Stefano, that is truly some fascinating info, and I am thrilled to see the photo of "71-2." (I've also learned I have camouflaged my current 1/72 Breda C.202 project "backwards," oh well! .)