Avia S-199
| Avia S-199 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Avia S-199 Sakeen at the Israeli Air Force Museum, Hatzerim, Israel | |
| Role | Fighter aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Avia |
| Designer | Messerschmitt |
| First flight | March 1947 |
| Retired | 1957 |
| Primary users | Czechoslovak Air Force Israeli Air Force |
| Produced | 1947–1949 |
| Number built | 603 |
| Developed from | Messerschmitt Bf 109 |
The Avia S-199 is a propeller-driven
Constructed in Czechoslovakia, with parts and plans left over from
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 was 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. [Automotive Works, National Corp.]. The other was named závod Vysočany (Vysočany Plant, 1948–49) in Prague, as a corporative part of Letecké závody, n.p. [Aviation Works, National Corp.], but soon ran out of the 109's Daimler-Benz DB 605 engines after many were destroyed during an explosion at a warehouse in Krásné Březno.
The S-199 continued to use the Bf 109G
The Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine allowed for a central cannon mount (Motorkanone in German) that fired through the propeller spinner. As the Jumo 211 did not have provision for this, the S-199 used a version of the Rüstsatz VI modification kit. This consisted of a single MG 151 cannon mounted beneath each wing, but this further impaired the aircraft's performance. A final hidden danger lay in the gun synchronizer for the cowl-mounted MG 131 machine guns, which did not function as envisaged, leading to some Israeli pilots shooting off their own propellers.[1]
Despite these drawbacks, 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 The last examples were withdrawn from Czechoslovak service (with their National Security Guard) in 1957.[2]
Operational history
Israeli service
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Israeli agents
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. However, Israeli-operated S-199s did score victories over their opponents, including the Spitfire[7][8] which also equipped the Egyptian Air Force. The Avias were mostly withheld from service by the end of October, when only six remained operational. The S-199 continued making sporadic sorties until mid-December.
Variants
_(Czech_version_of_Messerschmitt_Bf_109G-12_pic2.JPG)
- Avia S-99
- A Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 variant assembled postwar in Czechoslovakia, its Avia factory designation was C.10; 21 aircraft were completed.
- Avia CS-99
- A training variant of Avia S-99 based on the Bf 109G-12 variant, its Avia factory designation was C.10: 23 aircraft were completed.
- Avia S-199
- The Avia S-99 powered by the Junkers Jumo 211F engine was the main production variant. Its Avia factory designation was C.210, and 559 aircraft were completed.
- Avia CS-199
- This two-seat training variant was rebuilt from the Avia S-199.
- Avia D-199
- A reconnaissance version
Operators
_(UF_25)_pic3.JPG)
Surviving aircraft
- Czech Republic
- UC-26 – CS-199 - is on static display at the Kbely Aviation Museum in Kbely, Prague. It is serial number 565.[9]
- UF-25 – S-199 - is on static display at the Prague Aviation Museum in Kbely, Prague. It is serial number 178.[9]
- Israel
- D-112 – S-199 - is on static display at the Hatzerim Israeli Air Force Base near Hatzerim, South District.[10]
Specifications (S-199)
Data from The Complete Book of Fighters [11]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 8.94 m (29 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 9.92 m (32 ft 7 in)
- Height: 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 16.5 m2 (178 sq ft)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 2R1 14.2; tip: NACA 2R1 11.35[12]
- Empty weight: 2,860 kg (6,305 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 3,736 kg (8,236 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Junkers Jumo 211FV-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,010 kW (1,350 hp) for take-off
- 790 kW (1,060 hp) at 5,300 m (17,400 ft)
- Propellers: 3-bladed paddle-bladed VS 11 constant-speed propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 528 km/h (328 mph, 285 kn) at sea level
- 598 km/h (372 mph; 323 kn) at 6,000 m (20,000 ft)
- Range: 860 km (530 mi, 460 nmi)
- Rate of climb: 13.7 m/s (2,700 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 231 kg/m2 (47 lb/sq ft) [citation needed]
- Power/mass: 0.195 hp/lb (0.321 kW/kg)[citation needed]
Armament
- Guns: ** 2 × 13 mm MG 131 machine guns
- 2 × MG 151/20 cannon
- 2 ×
- Bombs: ** 1 × 250 kg (551 lb)[citation needed]
- or
- 4 × 70 kg (155 lb) bombs[citation needed]
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- ISBN 0-7603-0803-9.
- ^ "Avia S-199 : Avia".
- ^ Ilan, Amitzur (1996). The Origin of the Arab-Israeli Arms Race. Arms, Embargo, Military Power and Decision in the 1948 Palestine War, New York University Press, p. 169
- ^ "How Nazi Fighter Planes Saved Israel War Is Boring, 2016-15-08". Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
- ISBN 1-84176-294-6.
- ISBN 1-85780-088-5.
- ^ Nordeen, Lon (1990). Fighters Over Israel, The Story of the Israeli Air Force from the War of Independence to the Bekaa Valley. Guild Publishing.
- ^ "Attributed Israeli Air Combat Victories". Safarikovi. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ a b "Avia S-199 (čs. verze Messerschmitt Bf 109G/K) - stíhací letoun". Vojenský Historický Ústav Praha (in Czech). Vojenský Historický Ústav. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier - Messerschmitt-Avia CS-199, s/n D-112 IDF, c/n 782358". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ISBN 1-85833-777-1.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
External links
- Avia S 199 Mezek, o Messerschmitt tchecoslocavo [The Avia S-99 and the Avia S-199] (in Portuguese).
- 101 Squadron's Avia S-199s
- Valka.cz forum with more pictures and further information
- Yaakov, Katz (July 16, 2012). "'It was all destiny' – One of last surviving founders of IAF recalls mission that stopped Egypt from advancing on Tel Aviv". The Jerusalem Post.
- Avia S-199, Jewish Virtual Library