Editing Macchi C.205 Veltro (section)

===Background===
During 1941, seeking to further improve the performance of the C.202 fighter, the ''[[Regia Aeronautica]]'' decided to [[licensed production|license-build]] the German [[Daimler-Benz DB 605]] {{convert|1,100|kW|hp|abbr=on}} liquid-cooled [[supercharger|supercharged]] inverted [[V12 engine|V-12]] engine in Italy, which Fiat produced as the RA.1050 R.C.58 ''Tifone'' (Typhoon). Fighter manufacturers were invited to enter versions of their designs using this engine as the ''caccia della serie 5 ''("series-5 fighter") and were provided with imported DB 605s for prototype use. All of the designs used the number 5 in the name, thus Macchi's submission became the C.205 (instead of C.202bis or C.203).<ref name="Mattioli 10">Mattioli 2002, p. 10.</ref>

Macchi had adopted a licence-built [[Daimler-Benz DB 601|DB 601]] engine for the C.202, an engine which was closely comparable in size to the later, more powerful DB 605.<ref name="Mattioli 6-7">Mattioli 2002, pp. 6-7.</ref> This meant that the C.202 airframe could be easily adapted for the DB 605; accordingly, Macchi opted to have the fuselage remain identical aft of the [[Firewall (engine)|firewall]].<ref name="Mattioli 10"/> The resulting aircraft, which was designated C.205V ''Veltro'', was considered to be a stop-gap measure while the definitive variant was intended to be the 205N ''Orione'' (N stood for "new").<ref name="Giorgio Massiniello">Massiniello 1997, {{page needed|date=January 2025}}.</ref><ref name="Mattioli 910">Mattioli 2002, pp. 9-10.</ref>

On 19 April 1942, the C.205V ''Veltro'' performed its [[maiden flight]]; much of the subsequent flight testing was conducted at [[Guidonia Airfield]] on the outskirts of Rome.<ref name="Mattioli 10"/> Testing revealed that both the Fiat G.55 ''Centauro'' and Re.2005 ''Sagittario'' were capable of greater performance while flying at high altitudes, largely due to their larger wing area. In fact, the ''Veltro'' used the same wing as the earlier ''Folgore'' but its weight had increased from {{convert|2,350|to|2,581|kg|lbs|abbr=on}} and the [[wing loading]] from 140&nbsp;kg/m<sup>2</sup> to 153.6&nbsp;kg/m<sup>2</sup>. The ''Veltro''{{'}}s performance was similar to German designs with their higher wing loading, and was at its best at medium altitudes where it could reach {{convert|642|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. The C.205 ''Veltro'' was placed in production until the G.55 and the Re.2005 could become available.<ref name="Giorgio Massiniello"/><ref name="Mattioli 1011">Mattioli 2002, pp. 10-11.</ref>

The first 100 ''Veltro Serie I'' were solely armed with machine guns, however, many aircraft were also fitted with the 20&nbsp;mm [[MG 151 cannon]]. There were no ''Serie II'' built, but 150 ''Serie III'' were ordered, which were fitted with wing cannons as a standard.<ref name="Giorgio Massiniello"/><ref name="Mattioli 10"/>

Some delay was incurred by the necessity of re-engineering the aircraft's forward fuselage, leading to several months passing before the "205N" was flight-capable. On 1 November 1942, the C.205N1 made its first flight; at this point, the armament consisting of a single 20&nbsp;mm cannon that fired through the propeller hub along with four cowling-mounted 12.7&nbsp;mm (.5&nbsp;in) [[Breda-SAFAT machine gun]]s for which it carried 300–400 and 1,400 rounds of ammunition respectively. This configuration allowed for a higher ceiling at the cost of a reduced speed [{{convert|629|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}]. The better aerodynamics (with a longer and more streamlined rear fuselage) provided an advantage over the Macchi C.205V/MG151 [{{convert|620|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}].<ref name="Giorgio Massiniello"/>

On 19 May 1943, the second prototype, designated C.205N2, took place; during testing, it reportedly attained {{convert|628|km/h|mph}}, which was marginally slower than the C.205N1 with a correspondingly longer time to reach its operational altitude. It was equipped with a single engine-mounted 20&nbsp;mm cannon, a pair of wing-mounted 20&nbsp;mm cannon and two fuselage-mounted 12.7&nbsp;mm (.5&nbsp;in) machine guns. The ammunition load comprised 600 or more 12.7&nbsp;mm (.5&nbsp;in) rounds and a maximum of around 900 20&nbsp;mm rounds which was much heavier than that carried by the C.205N1 and more than that of the Reggiane and the Fiat which carried 490–550 and 650 20&nbsp;mm rounds respectively. Although 1,200 aircraft were ordered, the design was abandoned due to the [[Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces|Italian armistice]].

The N-series aircraft should have performed better than the C.205V but Macchi test pilot Guido Carestiato noted that their flying characteristics were inferior to the lighter and more agile C.205 ''Veltro''. The later series also experienced overheating while climbing.<ref name="Lembo p. 5.">Lembo 2002, p. 5.</ref>