Photograph:
Macchi C.205V MM9377 whilst with No 3 Squadron RAAF in North Africa (Author’s collection)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Single-seat fighter and fighter bomber
Power Plant:
One 1,100 kw (1,475 hp) Fiat RA.1050 RC58 Tifone 12-cylinder VEE liquid-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 10.58 m (34 ft 8½ in)
- Length: 8.85 m (29 ft 0½ in)
- Height: 3.04 m (9 ft 11½ in)
- Wing area: 16.80 m² (180.8 sq ft)
- Max speed at 7,200 m (23,620 ft): 642 km/h (399 mph)
- Cruising speed: 499 km/h (310 mph)
- Initial rate of climb: 945 m/min (3,100 ft/min)
- Time to climb to 6,000 m (19,685 ft): 5 mins 53 secs
- Service ceiling: 11,003 m (36,100 ft)
- Range: 950 km (590 miles)
- Empty weight: 2,581 kg (5,690 lb)
- Loaded weight: 3,408 kg (7,513 lb)
History:
The Macchi C.205 Veltro (Greyhound) was the last of the Macchi series of piston engined fighters to be produced by Mario Castoldi and was by any standards an outstanding machine. In 1940 a Daimler Benz DB 601 engine was obtained from Germany and fitted to a C.200 fighter, in this form flying for the first time on 10 August 1940. The DB 601 engine was placed in production by Alfa Romeo as the RA.1000 RC44 and the new type became known as the C.202 Folgore (Lightning), entering service in 1942.
The type entered production, initially with Breda, in late 1940. It had two 7.69 mm (0.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns in the wings and was able to carry up to 160 kg (353 lb) of bombs or fuel tanks. A number of variants were built, one series having two 20 mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannon in underwing fairings. Approximately 1,500 examples were completed, including 392 by Macchi, and they soon achieved superiority over the Hawker Hurricane and Curtiss P-40 series in operation with the allies.
Later a DB 605A engine was installed in a C.202, this new aircraft, known as the C.205 Veltro, flying for the first time on 19 April 1942, entering service early in 1943. The Veltro was of all metal construction with fabric covered control surfaces. The wing mounted machine guns were deleted in favour of two 20-mm cannon and four 12.7 mm (0.5-in) machine guns in the wings. It was a total structural redesign as compared to the C.202. The 205N-2 variant deleted the machine guns in the wings and added two more 20-mm cannon. The DB 605A was licence built by Fiat as the RA.1040 RC.58 and produced 1,100 kw (1,475 hp). One has been restored to airworthiness in Italy, this being a MC.205V (I-MCVE) and is owned by Aermacchi. Two others are held in museums.
One of the past-times of personnel in North Africa was to locate and restore to airworthiness enemy aircraft, particularly fighters. Australian units Nos 3 and 450 Squadrons were involved in this practice, as were British and South African units in the area. At least two, and perhaps more, C.205s were dealt with in this way. One C.205V (serial MM9377) was captured by personnel of No 3 Squadron, RAAF in North Africa, along with a number of other aircraft, this machine being obtained on 24 August 1943 from Catania Main airfield and taken to Agnone in Sicily from where the unit operated from 2 August to 14 September 1943.
All those captured aircraft were allotted the squadron code CV, similar to the units own aircraft at the time, and painted in markings to distinguish them from enemy aircraft. MM9377, the Macchi, was coded CV-V. It is known that Flying Officer A Dawkins flew the aircraft on 7 September 1943, his log-book recording 50 minutes in the aircraft, comments including “lovely to handle – took off at 27+, cruise at .9, 2250 revs, 250 mph.” The aircraft was abandoned after the unit moved on.
The Australian War Memorial holds photos in its collection of captured aircraft. Photo MEA0583 shows a C.205 being serviced by 450 Squadron personell but it is not known if it was flown with the unit. Photo MEA0699 refers to an aircraft captured at Grottaglie in southern Italy during the occupation of 450 Squadron.