Mattioli, Marco/Caruana, Richard (Illustr.)/Hector, Gareth (Illustr.) Macchi C.202/C.205V Units in Combat

A study of the Macchi Folgore and Veltro, the most successful Italian fighters in World War II. With specially commissioned profiles, the book examines how these fighters were conceived, their performance and the fascinating stories of their pilots.
Italian fighters, such as the Fiat G.50 and Macchi C.200, had always struggled with their straight-line speed and restricted armament when engaging their Allied counterparts. To solve these problems, Macchi initially designed the C.202 Folgore using German engines, which contributed to create a faster aircraft, with a superior rate of climb and reachable altitude. Folgore's success in various North African engagements then paved the way for the development of Macchi's most successful fighter, the C.205V Veltro, which managed to combine increased speed and increased power. Packed with specially commissioned artwork and original photos, and written by Italian military aviation specialist Marco Mattioli, this fascinating book explores how the premier Italian fighter of the war came to life and the historical circumstances that prevented it from becoming one of the most dreaded aircraft in the Mediterranean.

Italian fighter aircraft such as the Fiat G.50 and the Macchi C.200 always struggled with their low straight-line speed and limited armament in combat against the Allies. To solve these problems, Macchi initially developed the C.202 "Folgore" with German engines, which helped to create a faster aircraft with a higher rate of climb and a higher service ceiling. The success of the "Folgore" on various missions in North Africa then paved the way for the development of Macchi's most successful fighter aircraft, the C.205V "Veltro", which combined higher speed with more power. This fascinating book, featuring specially commissioned graphics and original photographs and written by Italian military aviation specialist Marco Mattioli, examines how the most important Italian fighter of the war came into being and the historical circumstances that prevented it from becoming one of the most feared fighters in the Mediterranean.