Aircraft of World War II: Macchi C.200 Saetta (ePub)

The Macchi C.200 "Saetta" was a single-engine jet fighter low-wing developed by the Italian Air Force Aeronautica Macchi in the thirties.
He made the first flight December 24, 1937 and went online in 1939.
Although equipped with an underpowered engine and armed with only a couple of machine guns caliber 12.7 mm, the design of the "Lightning" was very good. The Macchi C.200 had no particular flaws and was equipped with excellent skills for close combat.
In fact, its handling was excellent and stability in the battered high speed, exceptional.
So he could duel with the best Allied fighters and come out undefeated. Only the Supermarine Spitfire could overcome it, in pull-up.
Since the entry into the war, June 10, 1940, the armistice of 1943, the Lightning played most operational missions than any other Italian air. With the insignia of the Royal Air Force, he worked on almost all fronts of World War II, from the Mediterranean Sea, Africa, the Balkans. A Autonomous Group worked in Russia where he obtained the excellent report culls / losses of 88 to 15.
The Macchi C.200 were built, as well as by the parent Aer.Macchi (395 specimens), also from Breda, who built in fact the highest number (556), and the SAI Ambrosini (223), in different production lots; This brought about small differences in painting aircraft, both from company to company, from which different series production.