Valiant Wings
Publishing are well known for their Airframe Album series of books that try
to place as much information about an aircraft in one place as possible – Gary
has a copy of their latest “Airframe Detail”
book on the beautiful looking MC.202
Folgore – see what he thought of the book in his review.
Read n’ Reviewed:
The Macchi MC.202 Folgore - A
Technical Guide
Airframe
Detail No.3 - Valiant Wings Publishing
by Maurizio Di Terlizzi
ISBN 978-0-9930908-3-7
Published: August
2015
Reviewed: December
2015
Available from: Valiant
Wings Publishing
Price: £13, US$19,
EUR17, AU$26
The Macchi MC.202 A Technical Guide is the third title in
the Valiant Wings Airframe Detail series described as books for the avid
aviation modeller and enthusiast. Scale modellers have never had it so good.
Right now all manner of historic aircraft types can be built in the popular
scales. However, for the serious modeller and enthusiast references can be
scarce or hard to find for many of these interesting types. Valiant Wings Airframe
Detail is designed to address this, providing a one-stop reference guide for
anyone wishing to model certain aircraft.
The MC.202 Folgore went into service with the Regia
Aeronautica in July 1941 and immediately proved to be an effective and deadly
dogfighter. The Australian ace Clive Caldwell, who fought a wide variety of
German, Italian and Japanese fighters during 1941-45, later stated that the
C.202 was "one of the best and most undervalued of fighters". The
C.202 also had its defects: like its predecessor, the Macchi C.200, it could
enter a dangerous spin. It was insufficiently armed, with just two machine guns
that easily jammed. The radios were unreliable, forcing the pilots to
communicate by waggling wings. The oxygen system was inefficient, causing 50 to
60 per cent of the pilots to break off missions, sometimes even causing fatal
accidents. [wikipedia]
This softcover, 82 page, A4 format book with colour contents
is broken down into 3 major sections:
Introduction - 10
pages providing a brief history of the development and operational use of the
Macchi MC.202. Information is provided regarding Combat with the Regia
Aeronautica across all theatres from North Africa, Malta, Russia, Tunisia, Home
Defence in Italy and finally the use in the Co-Belligerent Air Force after the
1943 armistice.
Technical Description
- 40 pages, not surprisingly the bulk of this book, is dedicated to
detailed coverage of the MC.202 construction and equipment
Camouflage &
Markings - 19 pages of colour profiles and camouflage detail by Richard J.
Caruana including side profiles, notes and photographs
Appendix I-IV - 5
pages listing MC.202 Kits, Accessories, Paint Masks, Decals and Publication
Bibliography.
The Introduction Brief History section provides a summary of
the development of the MC.202 including its dependency of the German made
Daimler-Benz DB.601A engine (which was Italian-built under license). The DB.601
generated more power than the available Italian engines of the time.
Like other Valiant Wings titles we are provided with a
generous range of black & white and colour photos. The MC.202 was used
across a wide range of theatres by the Regia Aeronautica and these are
discussed in summary along with each variant of the airframe.
Section 1 - Technical Description is logically broken down
into 9 sub-sections. Being part of the Valiant Wings Airframe Detail series, we
would expect a very thorough coverge and this book does not disappoint.
Fuselage - cockpit interior, canopy & fuselage
Undercarriage - main & tail
Tail - tailplane, vertical fin & rudder
Controls & Control Surfaces
Wings
Engine, Propeller, Exhausts & Cowling
Systems - fuel, oil, coolant, oxygen, hydraulic &
pneumatic
Weapons - armament, sighting & miscellaneous
Electrical Equipment - radio, camera, misc electrical
All photos (even period photos) are reproduced with good
exposure and clarity and I have found this to be consistent across the Valiant
Wings range. Exploded and factory drawings are also included to provide further
coverage in each area.
Close up details are mostly provided in photo form from
museum or restored examples. The usual caveats apply to anyone basing their
model on such airframes, especially when matching paint colours.
Some of the detail is probably above and beyond what we as modellers
would need (such as the interior construction of the wings) but having said
that there is no substitute for original manufacturer drawings like these when
we want to work out just exactly where the wing panels should be represented on
the surface of our model.
The Folgore was put into production using imported DB 601Aa
engines, while Alfa Romeo set up production of the engine under license as the
RA.1000 R.C.41-I Monsone (Monsoon). Due to initial delays in engine production,
Macchi resorted to completing some C.202 airframes as C.200s with Fiat radial
engines. Nevertheless, by late 1942, Folgores outnumbered all other fighter
aircraft in the Regia Aeronautica.
I really like the use of period WWII photos and engineering
drawings as these are often the hardest to come across when relying only the
internet via Google searches. Each and every part of the MC.202 has been
covered in great detail and its hard to imagine how anyone else could do more
than what Valiant has provided us.
Section 2 - Camouflage & Markings provides us with a
detailed coverage and explanation of the units and squadrons that operated the
Folgore. Period photos and extensive colour profiles account for the majority
of its 19 pages. This chapter contains all the technical details of the paint
colours and stencilling used on Folgores as well as really useful titbits for modellers
such as the use of a special heat-resistant black paint applied to the gun
troughs on the upper engine cowlings
The Macchi C.202 was flown by almost all the most successful
Italian aces: Adriano Visconti, Luigi Gorrini, Franco Lucchini, Franco Bordoni
Bisleri, Furio Niclot Doglio and top scorer Sergente Maggiore Teresio Vittorio
Martinoli, credited with 22 individual "kills" plus two probables and
14 shared. Italian aircraft, and the Macchi C.202 in particular, always had
particular paint schemes. The three companies that built the Folgore, Macchi,
Breda and SAI all had specific types of of markings, colours, mottling shape
and service stencils that are unique to the machines made by each firm.
By far the most visually appealing (to me at least) schemes
of WWII Italian AF aircraft are the desert or so called 'North Africa' schemes.
All aircraft based overseas were to be painted Nocciola Chiaro (Light Hazelnut
Brown) with blotches of Verde Oliva Scuro (Dark Olive Green) on the upper
surfaces, to produce a mottled effect. The distinctive 'smoke rings' scheme is
but one variation of how this general instruction was applied to aircraft.
In all, 26 colour side profiles are provided by artist
Richard J Caruana. Most, but not all, are the attractive 'North Africa' sand
scheme but if you are looking for something different for your Folgore then
several Luftwaffe and Post War options are also documented.
The final section of the book is dedicated to scale models
and accessories for the MC.202 Folgore. Across four pages lists of kits,
decals, paint masks and accessories are itemised. Unlike other Valiant book
series aimed at modellers, this book contains no build reviews.
Once again Valiant Wings Publishing has found the right
balance needed in an 'all-in-one' format reference book. The book is aimed
squarely at modellers and I plan to use mine extensively when I get around to
starting my Pacific Coast Models MC.202 in 1:32 scale. For the asking price you
get excellent value for money with comprehensive photographic and diagrammatic
material, more than enough to satisfy even the most detail minded modeller. The
book itself is made from a heavy grade gloss finish paper which results in
great picture clarity and makes it a fine addition to any modelling library.
Highly recommended for modellers and enthusiasts alike.
Gary Wickham
Thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for
sending this to Gary for him to read and review…
