Eduard 1/48 C.202 Folgore Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | November 2016 | Manufacturer | Eduard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Macchi C.202 Folgore | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 1132 | Primary Media | Styrene, Photo-Etch, Resin |
| Pros | Nice update to the Hasegawa kit | Cons | See text |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | MSRP (USD) | $59.95 |
First Look
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When the Italian Air Force was looking for a higher performance fighter, Macchi Aeronautica redesigned the radial-engined C.200 Saetta around a new, license-built Daimler Benz DB 601 engine. The redesign included a fully enclosed cockpit as well as a lower profile fuselage which was possible with the absence of the radial engine blocking forward visibility during take-off and landing. The resulting C.202 Folgore (Lightning) was faster and very maneuverable, though only lightly armed. The C.202 would continue service through the end of Italy's axis operations and then continue in training roles after the war.
The Hasegawa 1/48 C.202 is still the best kit of this subject in this scale. Eduard has reboxed this Hasegawa kit into its Limited Edition series and included a set of Brassin resin details, a fret of color-printed photo-etched details, a standard fret of photo-etched details, new decals, and a set of yellow-tape paint masks. The stock kit is molded in gray styrene and presented on six parts trees plus one tree of clear parts.
Among the features and options in this release:
- Nicely detailed cockpit complete with color-printed instrument panel and pilot restraints
- Positionable canopy
- Choice of standard or tropical air intakes
- Weighted resin main landing gear wheels
- Choice of resin tail wheel units
- Resin-detailed centerline radiator
- Positionable radiator flap
- Resin DF loop
Markings are provided for five aircraft:
- C.202 VII. Serie, MM9066, 2, 151a Squadriglia/51 Stormo, 1942
- C.202 XII. Serie, unknown, 2, 70a Squadriglia/3 Stormo, 1943
- C.202 VI. Serie, MM8122, 1, 386a Squadriglia/21 Stormo, 1942
- C.202 II. Serie, MM7711, 4, 378a Squadriglia/155 Stormo, 1942
- C.202 XI. Serie, unknown, 10, 24 Gruppo Autonomo, 1943
- C.202 I. Serie, MM7860, 2, 71a Squadriglia/17 Gruppo/1 Stormo, 1941
The decals are nicely printed and don't have the artwork separated into different layers like some decal companies are doing these days. Once again, thank you Eduard!
As I said above, the Hasegawa kit is (was) the best kit of this subject in this scale, but Eduard's release adds nice details in the cockpit and around the airframe to take this kit to the next level. If you're a quarter scale Regia Aeronautica modeler, this is the Folgore you're looking for.
My sincere thanks to Eduard for this review sample!