Macchi M.C. 202 "Folgore"

[hasegawa]

Another aircraft from the "Battle over-series". This is the best aircraft design from Italy 1941-43, the Macchi M.C. 202 "Folgore"... Lightning in to english. In Italy talented designer like Mario Castoldi are brilliant, but never Italy was in this time able to self-develop powerful engines over 1,000 PS. This aircraft was build around the original german Daimler Benz DB 601, which was later produced under license from Alfa Romeo as R.C. 21 , but not in that greater numbers needed. So the output of aircraft of this type was low, 1.106 (citation needed) are build. It´s biggest weakness was its to light armament, 2 x MG BREDA/SAFAT 12,7 mm only. Pods under the wings with 7,7-mm-MG helped little and the aerodynamic quality of the aircraft was worsened.
This one is Series VIII with license build engine by Alpha Romeo.
In the simulation it is in the "Moscow" package. But this is not true. Italian "Folgore" at the eastern Front saw very limited service from August 1942 to March 1943 over the Stalingrad-Area and over the Ukraine, mostly for ground attack and Bomber/fighter-bomber escort.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macchi_C.202
One point at wiki is nonsense. "holding action against the VVS armada of 2,000 aircraft, at a time when the Axis air forces only countered with 300 operative aircraft, which were further constrained by having very small quantities of fuel, munitions and equipment available." This is not true. The russian VVS also lacked aircraft and most oft them at the end of their engines hours and in bad condition. (A.I. "Sascha" Pokryshkin at his Memoirs "Heaven of war"...)

































Look at the "Yellow Noseband", typical for axis aircraft at the Eastern Front.

[Adamski]

Well ... regardless of performance or armament, it's a very striking aircraft. A cross between an Me-109 and a P-40!!! I'd love to see one in real life.

Those cockpit shots are amazing. The IL-2 series seems to excel in those. I wonder if IL-2 uses the new PBR lighting engine?

Adam.

[hasegawa]

The P-40 was less... and the aerodynamic quality of the M.C. 202 much higher... In a direct encounter of these two typs I prefer the M.C. 202.
The question about the PBR lighting engine I can not answer, because I am not familiar with effect programming. Maybee you find more information about this in the Diary of the developers of the simulation...
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/39 ... iscussion/