Avia S-199

Infobox Aircraft
name= S-199


caption=
type=Fighter aircraft
manufacturer=Avia
designer=Messerschmitt
first flight=March 1947
introduced=
retired= 1957
status=
primary user= Czechoslovak Air Force
more users= Israeli Air Force
produced=1947-1949
number built=~550
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=
developed from= Messerschmitt Bf 109The Avia S-199 was a fighter aircraft built after World War II by the Avia Company (Avia Akciová Společnost Pro Průmysl Letecký Škoda), a branch of the enormous Škoda Works in Czechoslovakia, built using parts and plans left over from Luftwaffe aircraft production that had taken place in the German occupied country during the war. Despite the aircraft's numerous problems and unpopularity with its pilots, it achieved fame as the first fighter obtained by the Israeli Air Force for use during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. 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 109Gs after the war under the Avia S-99 name, but soon ran out of the 109's Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine after many were destroyed during a warehouse fire. 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 engine (Junkers Jumo 211) and propeller as the Heinkel He 111 bomber. The resulting combination of parts was an aircraft with extremely poor handling qualities. The substitute engine was heavier than, and 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 take-offs extremely hazardous. A final hidden danger lay in the synchronization gear, which did not work as it was meant to, leading a few Israeli aircraft to shoot off their own propellers. [cite book | last=Lande | first=D.A. | year=2000 | title=Messerschmitt 109 | publisher=MBI Publishing Company | series=Warbird History | pages=p.116 | isbn=0-7603-0803-9 ]

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 first examples arrived on May 20 1948, six days after Israel's declaration of independence and five days after the commencement of hostilities by Egypt. They were assembled and sent into combat for the first time on May 29, attacking the Egyptian army between Isdud and the current Ad Halom bridge, south of Tel Aviv. This was the first action of 101 Squadron IAF. The type proved unreliable and performed poorly in combat. One Avia pilot remarked "she tried to kill us on every take off and landing." Fact|date=February 2007 Furthermore, maintenance problems meant that no more than five were typically airworthy at any one time. The type, however, scored victories over its opponents, including the Spitfire. [cite book | last=Nordeen | first=Lon| year=1990 | title=Fighters Over Israel, The Story of the Israeli Air Force from the War of Independence to the Bekaa Valley| edition= | publisher=Guild Publishing| location= | ] 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 through mid-December; American pilot Wayne Peake flipped one on its back on December 15.

Variants

;Avia S-99:Messerschmitt Bf 109G variant assembled postwar in Czechoslovakia. Avia factory designation was C.10, 20 aircraft completed.;Avia CS-99:Training variant of Avia S-99 based on idea of training Messerschmitt Bf 109G-12 variant. Avia factory designation was C.10, 2 aircraft completed.;Avia S-199:Avia S-99 powered by Junkers Jumo 211 engine, main production variant. Avia factory designation was C.210, 551 aircraft completed.;Avia CS-199:Two-seat training variant rebuilt from Avia S-199.

Operators

;CZS
*Czechoslovakian Air Force
*Czechoslovakian National Security Guard;ISR
*Israeli Air Force

urvivors

Today at least three aircraft are preserved. Both S-199 and CS-199 are displayed in Aviation Museum Prague-Kbely and sole S-199 example is preserved at the Israeli Air Force Museum at Hatserim Israeli Air Force Base.

pecifications (S-199)

Aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=1
length main=8.94 m
length alt=29 ft 4 in
span main=9.92 m
span alt=32 ft 6 in
height main=2.59 m
height alt=8 ft 6 in
area main=16.2 m²
area alt=174 ft²
empty weight main=2,650 kg
empty weight alt=5,840 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=3,740 kg
max takeoff weight alt=8,245 lb
engine (prop)=Junkers Jumo 211F
type of prop=liquid-cooled inverted V-12
number of props=1
power main=880 kW
power alt=1,200 hp
max speed main=590 km/h
max speed alt=320 knots, 370 mph
combat radius main=850 km
combat radius alt=530 mi
ceiling main=8,686 m
ceiling alt=28,500 ft
climb rate main=11 m/s
climb rate alt=2,200 ft/min
loading main=231 kg/m²
loading alt=47.3 lb/ft²
power/mass main=321 W/kg
power/mass alt=0.195 hp/lb
guns=
**2× MG 131 machine guns
**2× MG 151/20 cannons
bombs=
**1× 250 kg (550 lb) "or"
**4× 70 kg (155 lb) bombs

References

=External links=
* [http://101squadron.com/ 101 Squadron, Israel's first fighter squadron]
* [http://s188567700.online.de/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=47 Israeli Air-to-Air Victories in 1948-1966]

ee also

Aircontent
related=
* Messerschmitt Bf 109
* Hispano Aviación HA-1112

similar aircraft=
* Supermarine Spitfire
* Yakovlev Yak-9

see also=

lists=
* List of fighter aircraft