Macchi C201

[Graham Boak]

IN their new arrivals, Hannants have a Kora Macchi C201, which according to them is an MC200 with an enclosed canopy as on the MC202 Folgore. I understood the MC201 to be an MC200 airframe with a Daimler Benz engine.

Comments anyone?

[Beard]

Wikipedia, not always the most reliable source, says it had an Issota-Fraschini and later a Fiat engine.

I can't post a link, because I'm using my phone, but it's listed under 'variants' on the Macchi 200 entry.

[Giorgio N]

The Mc.201 was indeed a modified Mc.200 designed to use a radial Fiat A.76 engine. It had a number of aerodynamics improvements, of which the most visible was the lack of a rear "hump" behind the cockpit and a closed cockpit similar to the later Mc.202.

The aircraft actually flew with the original A.74 engine as the A.76 was not ready yet and the design was then the basis for the DB powered Mc.202

[Graham Boak]

Thanks - the Kora kit still seems to have a standard C200 fuselage. There is also an MC200bis, which appears to be a standard C200 with a replacement engine, smooth cowled. I hesitate to suggest which this might be.

[Giorgio N]

The Mc.200 Bis was a single Breda built aircraft that received a Piaggio XIX engine for testing purposes. This had a smooth cowl with a large intake on top.

Back to the 201, the differences in the fuselage between this and the standard 200 are not huge, the drawing on the Kora website seem to show the aircraft correctly.

Both the Mc.201 and the 200 Bis had very little impact. While the 201 was in a sense a step between the 200 and the 202, Castoldi did not need the experience with the 201 to build the 202. The first Mc.202 prototype was supposed to be built as conversion of the second Mc.201, but in the end it was built as a new aircraft

Edit: I should add that because of their very little importance I would expect these 2 kits to be of interest only to the most enthusiastic fans of WW2 Italian aircraft

Edited July 15, 2014 by Giorgio N