The Macchi M.C. 205 Veltro is considered by many to be the best Italian fighter aircraft of World War II. The development of the Folgore retained the excellent aerodynamic design of its predecessor and, like the other fighters in the Series 5, was equipped with the German Daimler-Benz DB605 engine. The powerful 12-cylinder V-engine, which was also manufactured under license by Fiat, allowed the Veltro to reach a top speed of 640 km/h. Fast, agile, and well-armed, with two 12.7 mm machine guns in the nose and two 20 mm cannons in the wings, it was capable of engaging on equal terms with the best Allied fighters of the time, such as the American P-51 Mustang. It entered service with the Regia Aeronautica in the early months of 1943. After the armistice on September 8, it was used until the end of the conflict by both the flying units of the Italian Social Republic and those of the Co-belligerent Air Force.