Editing Macchi C.200 Saetta (section)

===Production===
Shortly following the completion of the second prototype, an initial order for 99 production aircraft was placed with Macchi.<ref name = "catt 3"/> The G.50, which during the same flight tests held at Guidonia airport had out-turned the Macchi,<ref name="de Marchi 1994"/> was also placed in limited production, because it had been determined that the former could be brought into service earlier. The decision, or indecision, involved in producing multiple overlapping types led to greater inefficiencies in both production and in operation.<ref name = "catt 3 4">Cattaneo 1966, pp. 3–4.</ref> In June 1939, production of the C.200 formally commenced.

The most serious handicap was the low production rate of the type. According to some reports, in excess of 22,000 hours in production time was attributed to the use of antiquated construction technology.<ref>Marcon May 2000, pp. 28–38.</ref> A lack of urgency shown by the authorities regarding standardisation was also viewed as having negatively affected mass production efforts, particularly in light of the lack of availability of key resources in Italy at the time.<ref name = "catt 3"/> In order to improve the rate of output, the C.200 remained almost unchanged throughout its production life, save for adjustments to the cockpit in response to pilot feedback.<ref name = "catt 5"/>

In addition to Macchi (who completed 397 airframes), the C.200 was also constructed by Italian aircraft companies [[Società Italiana Ernesto Breda (556)]] and [[SAI Ambrosini (200)]] under a [[subcontractor|subcontracting]] arrangement intended to produce 1,200 aircraft between 1939 and 1943.<ref name = "catt 5">Cattaneo 1966, p. 5.</ref> However, during 1940, the termination of all production of the type was considered in response to aerodynamic performance problems that had caused the loss of multiple aircraft; the type was retained after changes were made to the wing to rectify a tendency to go into an uncontrollable spin that could occur during turns.<ref name = "catt 6"/>

In an attempt to improve performance, a C.201 prototype was created with a {{cvt|750|kW}} [[List of aircraft engines#F to K|Fiat A.76]] engine;<ref name = "catt 9"/> work on this prototype was later abandoned in favour of the [[Daimler-Benz DB 601]]-powered [[Macchi C.202|C.202]]. At one point, it was intended that the ''Saetta'' was to have been replaced outright by the C.202 after only a single year in production. However, the C.200's service life was extended because [[Alfa Romeo]] proved to be incapable of producing enough of the RA.1000 (license-built DB 601) engines needed by the newer aircraft. This contributed to the decision to construct further C.200s that used C.202 components as an interim measure while waiting for the production rate of the latter's engine to be increased.

At the beginning of 1940, Denmark was set to place an order for 12 C.200s to replace its aging [[Hawker Nimrod]] fighters, but the deal fell through when [[Operation Weserübung|Germany invaded Denmark]].<ref name = "catt 6"/><ref name="Balsved">{{cite web |last1=Balsved |first1=Johnny E. |translator-last1=Arvedsen |translator-first1=L.-H. Kongsbak |title=History of Danish naval aviation |url=http://www.navalhistory.dk/English/NavAir/NavalAviation.htm |date=27 January 2006 |website=navalhistory.dk |location=Copenhagen |language=en, da |access-date=3 May 2019}}</ref> A total of 1,153 ''Saettas'' were eventually produced, but only 33 remained operational by the time [[Armistice with Italy|armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces]] in September 1943.<ref name = "catt 9"/>