Macchi C.200 Saetta

what is it?

The Macchi C.200 Saetta (Italian: "Lightning"), or MC.200, is a fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy. Various versions were flown by the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) who used the type throughout the Second World War. The C.200 was designed by Mario Castoldi, Macchi's lead designer, to serve as a modern monoplane fighter aircraft, furnished with retractable landing gear and powered by a radial engine.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · low wing · 10.6 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 504 km/htop speed
• range 570 kmwithout refuelling
• size 2,395 kgmax take-off weight
• built 1,153made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 89 years ago, in 1937.
• 🏎️Top speed is 3.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 10.6 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.0× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1937-12-24

introduced

1939

retired

1947

status

retired

number built

1,153

role

fighter

origin

Kingdom of Italy

makers

Alenia Aermacchi

engines

1× Fiat A.74 R.C.38 / Fiat A.74 R1C.38

crew

1

length

8.3 m

wingspan

10.6 m

height

3.1 m

max take-off weight

2,395 kg

top speed

504 km/h

range

570 km

ceiling

8,900 m

wings

low wing

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.