Agusta C-208 (Mario Castoldi)

[Skybolt]

After the war, Ing. Mario Castoldi, of Macchi's fame, left the company (he was largely compomised with the "regime", much more than other aircraft designers, for examle, it was the only one, AFAIK, who signed his letters to the Regia with the theroeticaly compulsory "Vincere !" (to win, but better, we'll winn, or we have to win"), moreover he did things not so pretty trying to save himself from epuration, like accusing his deputy Ermanno Bazzocchi of "collaborationism".... sad things happen in sad times). He had a number of contacts with other companies, then settled down as a free lance professional designer. His first, and penultimate, known design is this one, the C-208 he did for Agusta in 1948-49. It was a third-period (fighting school) trainer for AMI, aimed at the role substained by G-55Bs and later G-59s. Engine was an I.F. Delta III series (AMI had lot of those engines in storage). The Agusta C-208 (sometimes you'll see it cited as AC-208 wasn't built in any form but a couple of large scale models, one of which, the largest, was displayed at the 1950 Milan Aeronautical Fair and maybe (I have the photo somewhere...) at the Paris Salon too in the same year. That same model is now sleeping on top a shel in the luttle shop of the Agusta Museum in Cascina Costa (or it was there some time ago when I last visited). Having immediately recognized it (the Delta air cooling intake is unmistakeble) I just for fun asked the former Agusta employee volunteers what was that plane. They answered "Oh, tgat ? Is a Caproni's something...". So goes the only contact between Agusta and the great Mario Castoldi, I thought: Father, forgive them because they don't know what they are talking about....
The C-208 is well known in photos of that model, but I doubt it has ever been seen in 3-views. So enjoy.

 

[AeroFranz]

Nice lines. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Skybolt]

Notice the vertical tail: it will find it in all the Castoldi's designs.

 

[archipeppe]

Interesting.
It seems to have some point of contact with the Arado 96 two seat trainer of Luftwaffe.

 

[borovik]

"It seems to have some point of contact with the Arado 96 two seat trainer of Luftwaffe."
Rather with the Arado 396

 

[archipeppe]

"It seems to have some point of contact with the Arado 96 two seat trainer of Luftwaffe."
Rather with the Arado 396

Oops... I "eated" a 3.....
Thanks for the correction ;D

 

[elmayerle]

Out of curiosity, I have to ask if there were any studies of building Merlin-powered derivatives of the MC.205 along the same lines as the G.55 giving us the G.59?

 

[Retrofit]

"It seems to have some point of contact with the Arado 96 two seat trainer of Luftwaffe."
Rather with the Arado 396

It looks like the Pilatus P2 also.

 

[Stargazer]

To me this project shows dated design thinking. It looks like the kind of aircraft you would come up with circa 1935, not 1950! Top view is nice, though, but the sliding greenhouse canopy and general profile are from another age...

 

[Skybolt]

Well, after the war Italy used refurbished biplanes for first-period training.... and the CANT Z-506 keep soldiering on in SAR role till the early 1960s.
The question of Merlin powered C-205s is an old one. Last update I have is that Macchi did a brief study but shelved it. However, I can ask to my firiends there (actually, that were there..) if some drawings were made.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Renamed topic

 

[carlo961]

Please find attached a three-view drawing of a so-called Agusta AZ.4, that startlingly seems exactly like the C.208. Unfortunately the drawing has no title block with date of issue and signatures.
I think that this drawing was never published before. So enjoy also this one.

 

[Skybolt]

Ah, the AZ-4, so someone else has that drawing. I had it from by friend Giorgio Apostolo... It was tendered for a re-run of the basic trainer competition for Aeronautica Militare in 1952.

 

[Maveric]

Everytime my same request: Please post some technical data.

 

[Skybolt]

Mav, I'm afraid everything that survives in the open about the AZ-4 is that same 3-views....

 

[carlo961]

His first, and penultimate, known design is this one, the C-208 he did for Agusta in 1948-49.

Dear Skybolt, I have a question that is a little OT: which was the last known design of Mario Castoldi ?

 

[Skybolt]

C-209

 

[elmayerle]

Well, after the war Italy used refurbished biplanes for first-period training.... and the CANT Z-506 keep soldiering on in SAR role till the early 1960s.
The question of Merlin powered C-205s is an old one. Last update I have is that Macchi did a brief study but shelved it. However, I can ask to my firiends there (actually, that were there..) if some drawings were made.

Apparently the study was enough to encourage a resin conversion set in 1/72. I've bought three examples of such a set from Italy via an intermediary in the us.