The C.200 benefitted greatly from wider preparations that were being made for major expansion of the Italian Air Force, known as Programme R. During 1938, the C.200 was selected as the winner of the tender "Caccia I" (fighter 1st) of the "Regia Aeronautica". This choice came in spite of mixed results during flight testing at Guidonia airport; on 11 June 1938, "Maggiore" Ugo Borgogno had warned that when tight turns at beyond 90° were attempted, the aircraft became extremely difficult to control, including a tendency to turn upside down, mostly to the right and entering into a violent flat spin.