“Sit! I will return soon”. An Italian fighter pilot give an order to “airport’s dog” before to leave the parking area. The airplane is a Macchi MC.200 First Series of a 81st Squadriglia, 6th Gruppo, 1st Stormo on Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, June 1940. Victor Sierra

Sit!

Trapani, Sicily, August 1940. An Italian fighter pilot boarding on Macchi MC.200 “Saetta” of 1st Stormo “Arciere” (“Archer”). The aircraft is a MC.200 First Series with enclosed cockpit and sliding canopy, a solution not loved by pilots accustomed to open cockpit and which encountered some difficulties to open the canopy in case of emergency. The 1st Stormo was of-fact the first unit of the Regia Aeronautica exploiting the “Saetta” in true war missions of the war after a first series of changes to airframe for resolve many of troubles encountered after the entry into the service of new fighter. Like the adoption of a new airfoil for correct the tendency to entry in autorotation and the difficult for recovery from the spin, cause of many serious accidents. Victor Sierra

First MC.200s in combat service

Macchi MC.200 “Saetta” of 372nd Squadriglia of 153rd Gruppo “Asso di Bastoni” Italian Air Force in servicing under the palms on Castel Benito Airfield, Tripoli, Lybia, July 1941. The fighter is a MC.200 First Series with enclosed cockpit and sliding canopy. Victor Sierra