Official WW2 Macchi designations?

[HoHun]

Hi everyone,

Does perhaps anyone know for certain which designation Macchi officially used in WW2 to designate their types?

I've seen two patterns in use in reference books:

- Macchi M.C.202
- Macchi C.202

Assuming the M stands for Macchi and the C for Castoldi, the latter version appears to be logical.

I know the M.C.202 was used when the manufacturer's name was not spelled out, but what was the official designation with "Macchi" before the alpha-numeric abbreviation?

Thanks in advance!

Henning (HoHun)

[Gianlupo]

Hi HoHun.

The matter is very similar to the Bf/Me querelle. The official designation should be C. 202, as, like you stated, the M.C. designation was used only when the manufacturer's name was not spelled out.

Anyway, soon in official documents, both from the factory and the Regia Aeronautica, the two designations began to be used both, without particular care in choosing the one or the other.

So, while it's more correct to refer to Macchi planes as C. 20X, the M.C. form can be used, too.