Avia S-199

The Avia S-199 is a propeller-driven Messerschmitt Bf 109G-based fighter aircraft built after World War II utilizing the Bf 109G airframe and a Junkers Jumo 211F engine in place of the original and unavailable Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. It is notable as the first fighter obtained by the Israeli Air Force, and used during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Constructed in Czechoslovakia, with parts and plans left over from Luftwaffe aircraft production, the aircraft had numerous problems and was generally unpopular with its pilots. Czechoslovak pilots nicknamed it ''Mezek'' ("Mule"), while in Israel it was officially known as the ''Sakeen'' ("knife" in Hebrew). In practice, the aircraft was more often called Messerschmitt or ''Messer'' (which also means "knife", in German and Yiddish).

Design and development

Avia continued building Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6s after the war under the Avia S-99 name, at two aircraft factories in Czechoslovakia: one of them officially called ''závod Avia'' (Avia Plant) (1946–48) and ''závod Avia-Jiřího Dimitrova'' (Avia-George Dimitroff-Plant, 1948–49) in Čakovice near Prague, as a postwar corporative part of the ''Automobilové závody, n.p.'' '' utomotive Works, National Corp.'. The other was named ''závod Vysočany'' (''Vysočany Plant'', 1948–49) in Prague, as a corporative part of ''Letecké závody, n.p.'' '' viation Works, National Corp.' but soon ran out of the 109's Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine after many were destroyed during an explosion at a warehouse in Krásné Březno.

The S-199 continued to use the Bf 109G airframe but, with none of the original engines available, an alternative engine had to be used. It was decided that as a replacement for the original engine, the aircraft would use the same ( Junkers Jumo 211F) engine and propeller as the Heinkel He 111 bomber. The resulting combination of parts was an aircraft with extremely poor handling qualities. The substitute engine with the propeller lacked the responsiveness of the Daimler-Benz unit and the torque created by the massive paddle-bladed propeller made control very difficult. This, in combination with the 109's narrow-track undercarriage, made landings and takeoffs extremely hazardous.

The Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine allowed for a central cannon mount (''Motorkanone'' in German) that fired through the propeller spinner. This was not possible with the Junkers Jumo 211, and so the S-199 used a version of the Luftwaffe's ''Rüstsatz VI'' modification kit, which consisted of a pair of MG 151 cannon, one each in a gun pod, beneath each wing. This further impinged on the aircraft's performance. A final hidden danger lay in the gun synchronizer for the cowl-mounted MG 131 machine guns, which did not work as it was meant to, leading a few Israeli aircraft to shoot off their own propellers.

Around 550 S-199s were built, including a number of conversion trainers designated CS-199 (armed) and C-210 (unarmed). The first flight took place in March 1947, and production ended in 1949. The last examples were withdrawn from Czechoslovak service (with their National Security Guard) in 1957.

Operational history

Israeli service

Israeli agents negotiated the purchase of Avia S-199s from the Czechoslovak government in defiance of an arms embargo that Israel faced at the time. Twenty-five aircraft were obtained and all but two were eventually delivered. The price for a fully equipped plane was $190,000. The first four examples arrived on 20 May 1948, six days after Israel's declaration of independence and five days after the commencement of hostilities by Egypt. Forming Israel's first fighter squadron, the four Avias were assembled and sent into combat for the first time on 29 May during ''Operation Pleshet'', attacking the Egyptian army between Isdud and the Ad Halom bridge, south of Tel Aviv. A few days later, on 3 June, taking off from Herzliya Airport the type scored the Israeli Air Force's first aerial victories when Modi Alon shot down a pair of Royal Egyptian Air Force C-47s which had just bombed Tel Aviv.

The type proved unreliable and performed poorly in combat. Furthermore, maintenance problems meant that no more than five were typically airworthy at any one time. The type scored victories over its opponents, including the Spitfire. The Avias were mostly withheld from service by the end of October, at which time only six remained operational. The S-199 continued making sporadic sorties until mid-December.

Variants

;Avia S-99
:Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 variant assembled postwar in Czechoslovakia. Avia factory designation was C.10, 21 aircraft completed.
;Avia CS-99
:Training variant of Avia S-99 based on the Messerschmitt Bf 109G-12 variant. Avia factory designation was C.10, 23 aircraft completed.
;Avia S-199
:Avia S-99 powered by Junkers Jumo 211F engine, main production variant. Avia factory designation was C.210, 559 aircraft completed.
;Avia CS-199
:Two-seat training variant rebuilt from Avia S-199.
;Avia D-199
: Reconnaissance version.

Operators

;
*Czechoslovak Air Force
* Czechoslovak National Security Guard
;
*Israeli Air Force
** 101 Squadron

Surviving aircraft

;Czech Republic
* UC-26 – CS-199 on static display at the Kbely Aviation Museum in Kbely, Prague. It is serial number 565.
* UF-25 – S-199 on static display at the Prague Aviation Museum in Kbely, Prague. It is serial number 178.

;Israel
* D-112 – S-199 on static display at the Israeli Air Force Museum at Hatzerim Israeli Air Force Base near Hatzerim, South District.

Specifications (S-199)

See also

References

External links

* .
101 Squadron's Avia S-199s Valka.cz forum
with more pictures and further information
*

Jewish Virtual Library

{{Czech trainer aircraft

S-199
1940s Czechoslovakian fighter aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Aircraft first flown in 1947