Aeronautica Macchi Fighters Book Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | June 2024 | Title | Aeronautica Macchi Fighters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Luigino Caliaro | Publisher | Classic Publications |
| Published | 2024 | ISBN | 9781800352803 |
| Format | 288 pages, hardbound | MSRP (USD) | $54.95 |
Review
Looking for a one-volume reference on, arguably, Fascist Italy’s premier range of WWII fighter aircraft?
Get the lavishly illustrated, 288-page Aeronautica Macchi Fighters from Classic Publications – available in North America from Casemate.
Contents commence with introductory sections on Aeronautica Macchi history, “Aspects of Production”, and “The Evolution of the Monoplane Fighter in Italy in the 1930s”.
Coverage then turns meaty for hobby and history mavens with three chunky chapters on the book’s central subjects:
- C.200 Saetta,
- C.202 Folgore, and
- C.205 Veltro
Essentially stand-alone monographs, each traverses variant development, production, technical details, and operations.
A mind-numbing array of illustrations supports the study. Vintage color shots. Period B&W photos. Archival images. Color profiles. Preserved examples. Even original unit art. And much more.
Sidebars and extended, explanatory captions also augment the account. And camouflage and markings discussions complete core contents.
But what scale(s) are those concluding line drawings? Some alleged C.200s in the Castel Benito airfield shot on page 92 are really FIAT G.50 wrecks. And I gravely doubt that C.202s served as advanced trainers with Bulgaria.
Still, none of these and other nitpicks detracts from this handsome hardback. It’s a visual feast.
Recommended.