Macchi 202 Wings

hworth18 · Post by **hworth18** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:09 pm

The left wing is supposed to be longer..

Macchi's chief designer, Mario Castoldi, realized there was no choice but to turn to foreign sources for engines. The only reasonable engine would be the 1,175hp Daimler-Benz DB 601 from Germany, so importing one at company expense a prototype combining the C.200's airframe with the DB 601Aa engine was completed in August 1940. The added power could have been too much for the small plane's controls, so Castoldi extended the left wing by 8 inches in order to provide more lift on that side and counteract the torque.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:07 pm

That's exactly right. I recall that when I first got my Macchi, I looked up its specifications/history in a book of mine on WWII aircraft, and read how the left wing was supposed to be longer to reduce the effects of the torque caused by the propeller. I then smiled when I noticed that 21c got that detail right, and made the left wing of their little model a few milimeters longer

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:06 pm

If there is an error on the 32x Macchi - and this may be stretching it a little - then it may have something to do with the wings which don't quite have the right dihedral... But its small enough for me not to notice

krieglok · Post by **krieglok** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:18 pm

That is really cool. I am glad there are more enlightened people than I, out there. That is a very interesting observation(about the uneven wings) and answer to the question. Good work guys...

TJ