MMP was founded in 1996 by Roger Wallsgrove, to publish "Mushroom Model Magazine". This quarterly modelling magazine was developed from "Mushroom Monthly”, a club newsletter which ran from 1985 to 1995, achieving a world-wide reputation for quality articles, fearless and honest reviews, and a great sense of humor. From 1997 the magazine was produced in collaboration with Robert Peczkowski and Artur Juszczak (Stratus), which meant a big leap in print quality and design. MMP expanded into book publication in 1999, and since then they have built up a list of books on aircraft and aviation, naval, military vehicles, and military history. MMP Books are distributed in North America by Casemate Publications.

Aviation Historian, author Przemyslaw Skulski has a PhD in History and lives in Wroclaw, Poland. Przemyslaw Skulski has authored at least eight additional books for MMP. Including aviation monographs on the Macchi C.202 Folgore, Fiat CR.42 Falco, North American A-36 Apache, and the Douglas F3D Skynight. He also has an interest in armour, with books on the US Army Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen, the Soviet T-34-/76, and T-34/85. He has also authored or co-authored monographs on the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa, Messerschmit Me 163 Komet, Lockheed F-16 Falcon, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, Grumman Avenger, MiG-15, Ju-52, Fokker D.21, MiG-21bis Fishbed, Supermarine Spitifre, PZL P.24, and the Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle.

Dariusz Karnas is a skilled modeler and amateur aviation historian. He lives in Przemyśl, Poland. He has authored or contributed color plates and / or scale drawings for over one hundred publications. These include MMP’s Polish Wings, Scale Plans, and Inside series as well as books in the MMP Yellow series: Fieseler 156 Storch 1938-1945 (2012) and Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-15 (2004). You can find Dariusz Karnas on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/people/Dariusz-Karnas/100008987326348 .

This latest monograph by Przemysław Skulski covers the Macchi C.205 Veltro. The Macchi C.205 Veltro (Greyhound) was built around the powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. A development of the earlier C.202 Folgore, the Veltro had a top speed of some 640 km/h (400 mph) and carried a pair of 20 mm cannon as well as 12.7 mm Breda machine guns. The first flight was on 19-April-1942 with introduction to units in February 1943. Featuring a complex building process, like the Spitfire, only 262 airframes were built, however, it was competitive with Allied fighters like the Mustang. Adriano Visconti achieved 11 of his 26 victories in a two-week stint in the Veltro. Operated primarily by Italy, the Veltro did see service with the German Luftwaffe and Croatia during the war. Post World War II, the Veltro saw service with the Italian Air Force and the Royal Egyptian Air Force. Today, three Veltros survive, all in Italy, although only one of the three is an original Veltro.

The cover color photograph shows off a rebuilt Macchi C.202 that was part of Serie XII updated to a Macchi C.205 Veltro but carrying the markings of M.M.92214. She flew in these markings from 1981 to 1986 when she was seriously damaged. She was repaired and is now on display at the Museo Nazionale Della Scienza e Della Tecnica in Milan. I counted 89 black and white photographs along with 106 color pictures. Included in the technical section are many period drawings with one in color and seventeen in black and white (see Pages 56 and 75). There were 28 color side profiles along with four color top views with lower wing colors displayed. Color scrap details (see Page 122) are also included alongside their respective side profiles. There are ten 1/48 black and white line drawings, followed by four in 1/72nd scale. You will also find three tables. The Table of Contents includes the following sections:

• Acknowledgement
• Development
  • Introduction
  • Origins of the Veltro
  • Production
  • Reconnaissance and Long Range Versions
  • C.205N Orione
• Macchi C.205 Veltro – The Users
  • Regia Aeronautica [Page 14]
  • Gruppo – Number of Planes [Table]
  • Aeronautica Nazionale Republicana
  • Aviazione Co-Belligerante and Aeronautica Militare Italiana
  • Luftwaffe
  • Croatian Aviation
  • Australia
  • Switzerland
  • Egypt
  • Syria
• Scale Drawings
  • 1/48
  • Macchi C.205 Prototype
  • Macchi C.205V Veltro Series I
  • Macchi C.205V Veltro Series III [Page 46]
  • 1/72
  • Macchi C.205V Veltro Series III
• Museum Exhibits
• Technical Description
  • Fuselage and Tail [Page 56]
  • Canopy and Cockpit [Page 75]
  • Wings
  • Control Surfaces
  • Landing Gear
  • Fuel System
  • Armament
  • Powerplant
  • Communication and Navigation Equipment
  • Macchi C.205V/C.205N Technical Data (Table)
  • Macchi C.205 Production Data (Table)
• Camouflage and Markings
  • Regia Aeronautica
  • Aviazione Cobelligeranti
  • Aeronautica Nazionale Republicana
  • Luftwaffe
  • Royal Egyptian Air Force
  • Royal Australian Air Force
  • Other Countries
• Color Profiles [Page 122]

This is truly an impressive tome, on par with other monographs in the big format Orange series from MMP. I really enjoyed the use of color photographs of the three existing airframes and detailed drawings to illustrate the Technical Description section. One of the interesting tidbits is how a Veltro ended up in Switzerland. Lonate Pozzolo decided to escape on a routine transfer flight to Turin. Instead, Pozzolo decided to head to Lausanne. Why? For Love! It turns out Lausanne was the home of his fiancé. It is thought that Switzerland repaired the Serie II C.205V and did some test flights, but otherwise held onto the aircraft until after World War II when it was returned to Italy.

While this monograph is not the first on the Macchi C.205 Veltro, and may not be the last, it certainly is the most complete that I have seen. Przemyslaw Skulski has delivered a great history on the Macchi C.205 Veltro that not only covers the development and operational aspects, but provides a good basis for the modeler with nice detail shots of all the aircraft components. The development sections include many period photographs, even a few in color. Kit wise, there are quite a few good options in 1/32, 1/48, and 1/72 along with supporting decals, resin detail parts, masks, and photoetch. If the camouflage makes you hesitate, there are even decal options for those ‘smoke rings’.

My thanks to Casemate Publications, Mushroom Model Publications and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this great book.

Highly recommended!