21st Century Toys 1/32
Mc.202 Folgore

Walking through the local Wal-Mart, I stumbled (literally) onto the latest issues from 21st Century Toys. The Macchi C.202 Folgore. The detail on this “out of box” kit is really good. Even though the smoke ring camouflage is not perfect, it does catch the eye. The kit is cast in 1/32 scale and looks well within scale drawings for a pre-built kit like this.

There is minimal assembly required. The wing snaps into the fuselage and a small metal screw, that is supplied, is used to fasten the wings to the body. A small antenna, pitot tube and vent tube need to be installed. The black and white instruction sheet explains everything well.

Painted in the colors of Maresciallo Ennio Tarantola of 151 Squadriglia, 20* Gruppo 51* Stormo in Gela, Italy around September 1942. The “Dai Banana!” in yellow on the nose is very light and needs to be a bit brighter. The sand and green smoke circles are very nicely done. The shield on the tail is extremely detailed but again the yellow of the rarely seen kill markings, is a bit too transparent. The colors and detail of the cockpit are more than acceptable for this kit.

There is a nice little pilot figure already installed into the cockpit. If you wish you can easily take him out. The painted areas of the canopy frame is a bit transparent but acceptable. If you wish to enhance this kit, you can repaint the canopy and do a little work with some pastels for shading, stains and exhaust.

All in all it is a great kit and a bargain for around 15 dollars. Keep an eye out for other new kits coming from 21st Century Toys.