Macchi C.205 Veltro Book Review

By David L. Veres

Review

Compact, colorful, and convenient, MMP aircraft monographs deftly distill their subjects – especially for modelers of more obscure types.

And that’s why I enjoyed their latest.

Macchi C.205 Veltro – part of the publisher’s “Orange Series”, and available in North America from Casemate – packs everything you need to build this lithe little WWII Italian fighter into just 128 pithy pages.

The pithy précis recaps Veltro design, development, and deployment – notably during the waning days of Mussolini’s régime, over Northern Italy with the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, and in Egyptian service against the nascent Israeli state.

Coverage also recaps Nazi German, Croatian, and, allegedly, Syrian use – as well as a single captured Australian example. Notes on postwar Italian use complete historical coverage.

Text next turns to technical details – including dozens of detail shots, drawings from Veltro technical manuals, and plans to 1:48 and 1:72 scales. Period photography – both color and B&W – further season sections.

Shots of preserved Veltri also capture the cool, comely combatant’s lovely lines. And at least 32 color plates with camouflage & markings commentary provide plenty of project inspiration.

But most historians do not consider the Reggiane Re.2005, with major fuselage and wing design changes, an “upgraded version of the Re.2001”.

Modeling Hasegawa’s excellent 1:48-scale kit? How about Italeri’s 1:72-scale issue – or Delta’s ancient effort? Make MMP’s monograph your guide to this fascinating fighter.

With thanks to MMP BOOKS for the review copy. Available in North America from CASEMATE.