1/48 Hasegawa Macchi 205

When Hasegawa released the MC 202 and 205 kits in the '90's they unfortunately were a combination of features of of both aircraft, neither completely correct. The corrections to make the 205 kit more accurate are not really difficult and there's a book On the MC 205 by Maurizio Di Terlizzi that shows how to do this. The areas that are mostly different are the upper wing gun inspection hatches, the lower wing shell ejection ports and the radiator outer housing and front air splitter. I used Quickboost supercharger intake, oil coolers and exhausts as well as a Vector wheel well SBS cockpit set and Stormo decals in the build. All of the after market items are excellent and fit quite well to the kit but there is a caveat to the Vector wheel well. Most 205's and many late 202's had enclosed wheel wells. The Vector set represents this with their usual high standard of casting and is a drop fit to the lower wing, but a LOT of thinning to the upper wings and forward upper fuselage wing root area must be done to obtain a proper fit. The Stormo decals are excellent, very well researched and some of the best quality I've used.

The model represents an aircraft from 2a Sq.,1oGruppoCT, Reggio Emilia Summer 1944

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