The AerMacchi C.200 was first flown on Christmas Eve of 1937, carried out a "spectacular" flying test in front of the Air Ministry Committee for the Fighter Competition at the Regia Aeronautica's test field at Guidonia. Winning the fighter competition, the C.200 was ordered into mass production. The second place finisher, the Fiat G.50, had already been ordered into production due to Fiat's extremely strong connections to the government.
The C.200 served in every theater of the war for Italy. Its pilots loved it for its fingertip handling and great maneuverability. The universal problem of engine torque rotation was brilliantly handled by making one wing shorter than the other! This resulted in a neutral stick eliminating constant control corrections and enabling the pilot to fly the aircraft to its potential. Take-offs by rookie pilots were safe.
The Macchi C.200 in the Mediterranean theater was more tan able to hold its own against Hurricane I and IIs, P-40s and Spitfire Mk.I-Vs. None of these fighters could outmaneuver the C.200 and only the Spitfire Mk.V could outclimb it.
