Fiddlers Green

the first fighter supplied to the fledgling Isreali Air Force was the Messerschmitt Me-109.

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I'm not wierd! I'm normality impaired!

And a very good choice it was!
Lep

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"TANSTAAFL !" "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch!" Lazarus Long AKA Robert A. Heinlein

Currently working on: FG Wippet 1/72
Recently Completed: FG FT-17 Dio 1/38

A very Bad choice actually:

The version of the 109 they purchased was the Avia S-199; a Czechoslovakian design that took spare 109 airframes and mated them to spare Jumo 211 engines and props from He111 bombers. The result was a heavy, un-maneuverable fighter with a vicious torque.

I suppose they were happy to get anything at the time. Still, the plane was not loved by Israeli pilots.

Then, IMHO, it was not a 109, but bastard hodge-podge of spare parts.
Lep

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"TANSTAAFL !" "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch!" Lazarus Long AKA Robert A. Heinlein

Currently working on: FG Wippet 1/72
Recently Completed: FG FT-17 Dio 1/38

I think what makes the fact so Believe It Or Not is that the first Israeli fighters were engineered by the very faction that had tried to exterminate them. Lotta irony or poetic justice in that.

That was the intent of my first statement. Sometimes my sense of humor gets a little warped.
Lep

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"TANSTAAFL !" "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch!" Lazarus Long AKA Robert A. Heinlein

Currently working on: FG Wippet 1/72
Recently Completed: FG FT-17 Dio 1/38

believe it or not

The Gnome Monosoupape engine, and it's German counterpart, the Ueberursel rotary, had no throttle valve. the only way to slow the engine down was to turn it off. WWI pilots on both sides became masters of "dead stick" landings!

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I'm not wierd! I'm normality impaired!

believe it or not the last plane to be shot down in WW2 was a Nakajima Myrt bomber 5 minutes prior to the war ended

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the only thing to replace a DC-3 is another DC-3

believe it or not

the first ever aerial duel (not counting balloons, that is) took place in 1910 between a Curtiss flyer scouting for the Mexican rebels, and a Wright flyer scouting for the Mexican government. both pilots drew their pistols and traded shots, neither hitting the other before running out of ammunition.

both of the pilots were Americans.

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I'm not wierd! I'm normality impaired!

Believe it or not ...

Lots of WWII hardware ended up in the Middle East; not just hybrid 109s.

At the time of the 1956 Arab-Israeli war, the Isrealis were using upgunned Sherman tanks, while the Egiptians were using German Panzer Mark IVs! (And the Syrians were known to use Russian SU-100s.)

yep. the Isherman (upgunned Isreali Sherman) remained in use well into the 1970s, sometimes besting more modern Soviet-made tanks like the T-62. It was a Sherman chassis and turret, but incorporated a French-made high-velocity 105mm gun specifically designed to penetrate tank armor. cramped and cumbersome, it nevertheless proved it's worth in several Arab-Isreali wars.

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I'm not wierd! I'm normality impaired!

Believe it or Not-

Chuck Yeager started out flying P-39s, and loved them.

the P39 was a favorite among many Russian aces as well

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I'm not wierd! I'm normality impaired!

did you know that the russians called the P-39 the "Little Shaver" because it was used mainly for gorund attack

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the only thing to replace a DC-3 is another DC-3

Well, thats not surprising, with that big ol'cannon it had sticking out of the propeller hub. What was it...something like a 37mm? Nasty! But slow firing, so not so good in the air to air roll. But great for tank busting.