The
Aeronautica Macchi C.205 Veltro (Greyhound) along with the
Reggiane Re.2005 &
Fiat G.55 was one of three mid-WWII Italian
Serie 5 fighters built around the 1,475hp
FIAT RA.1050 R.C.58 Tifone (Typhoon) licensed built version of the
Daimler-Benz DB.605 inverted V-12 engine. Although not a "Beyond The Sprues" aircraft subject the Veltro nevertheless was the best WWII
Regia Aeronautica Italiana (RAI) fighter available in quantity before the
September 8, 1943 Italian Armistice, 100 built (MM.9287-9386) including the sole prototype (MM.9287) by June 1943, though weakly armed with two each 7.7 & 12.7mm Breda SAFAT machine guns against multi 12.7mm & cannon-armed Allied fighters.
This
SUPERMODEL build depicts a
1° Stormo, 6° Gruppo, 88° Squadriglia C.205V based at Catania, Sicily in May 1943 providing sea convoy air defense for retreating Axis forces in Tunisia till June when all 1° Stormo aircraft were withdrawn to the Italian homeland following their surrender,
Humbrol, Testors & Model Master enamel paints per late 1990s
IPMS-Italy RAI model painting formulas,
SKY Models 72-014 Macchi C.202 & 72-034 C.205 water decals being employed throughout.
In late spring 1984 I'd built two SUPERMODEL kits in similar 88° Squadriglia livery with contemporary Humbrol & Testors paints per the late
Giorgio Apostolo's RAI Color Formulas originally published in a 1977 IPMS-Italy monthly re-published c.1981 in an
IPMS-USA one I got whilst then subscribing to them - the first "authoritative" information I'd obtained regarding RAI model painting formulas - employing 1970s vintage
ETRL-ESCI RAI,
Microscale Luftwaffe Number & SUPERMODEL kit decals. The builds were amongst the best of my 1980s ones but they well as near all the others were given away though this build won't be - for now!