1:48 Macchi MC. 200 Series XXI-XXIII

Designed by engineer Mario Castoldi, the Macchi Mc 200 represented a significant production development in Italian fighter aircraft. Compared to the biplanes Fiat CR 32 and Fiat CR 42, which were the main aircraft of the Italian Air Force at the beginning of World War II, the Macchi Mc 200, along with its counterpart Fiat G50, was distinguished by its monoplane design and a frame structure made entirely of metal. The star-shaped 14-cylinder engine of the type Fiat A.74 RC 38 had a power output of nearly 840 hp, allowing the pilot to accelerate the aircraft to nearly 500 km/h. However, compared to Allied aircraft, the Macchi was underpowered and had less firepower. Two 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, mounted above the characteristic engine gondola, were the only onboard armament available. It was only in a later version that the armament was supplemented with two additional 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns mounted in the wings. The Macchi was deployed by the Regia Aeronautica in theaters of war in Africa, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and Russia.