For the Flight Replicas Me-262 Everyone knows that the Czechoslovakians sold Avia S-199s (Bf-109s) to Israel, but there is a little known rumour that they also sold a handful of Avia S-92s (Me-262s) to the fledgling IDF as well! One report is "According to Egyptian and British intelligence, a jet fighter of unknown type exploded in flight inside Israeli airspace during April 1950. The British thought that it might be a de Havilland Vampire of unknown origin, while the Egyptians stated that they had information revealing that the IAF had secretly taken delivery of eight crated Avia S.92 jets. The S.92 was the Messerschmitt Me 262A-1A built in Czechoslovakia following the World War. The Czechs' Russian masters might have approved such a sale in the first half of 1950, and Israel may have felt an urgent need to answer the threat posed by the new Egyptian Meteors, which arrived in October 1949, to buy this, the only jet available to them. However, the Me 262 was hopelessly antiquated in 1950 and the late Second World War technology was of very limited service life. If the story is true, it is odd that the Israelis would not have admitted to operating the Me 262, no matter how briefly and unsuccessfully, in the time since 1950." So I thought I would research Israeli camouflage for the period and produce a "what if" paint Early IDF aircraft were painted with whatever was at hand, ex RAF paint was common but in the late 1940s and early 1950s the standard scheme of Sand/Green over Grey was adopted, squadron emblems became popular and the aircraft became quite colourful. My depiction combines the standard scheme plus emblems that were used a little later but were too interesting to miss out on I have included maintenance markings in Hebrew but can't be sure they are authentic.
by TonyG (2007-01-31 23:13:31)
by TonyG (2007-01-31 23:13:31)
