Avia S-199

S-199
Role	Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer	Avia
Designed by	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 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. It was constructed with parts and plans left over from Luftwaffe aircraft production that had taken place under the country's German occupation 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

Junkers Jumo 211D Engine

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 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 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.

The Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine allowed for a central cannon mount that fired through the propellor 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 mounted beneath the wings. This further impinged on the aircraft's performance. A final hidden danger lay in the synchronization gear 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.^[1]

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. 25 aircraft were obtained and all but two were eventually delivered. The price for a fully equipped plane was $190.000.^[2] 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."^{[citation needed]} 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. ^[3] 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, 21 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, 23 aircraft completed.

Avia S-199

Avia S-99 powered by Junkers Jumo 211 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.

Operators

 Czechoslovakia

• Czechoslovakian Air Force
• Czechoslovakian National Security Guard

 Israel

• Israeli Air Force
  • 101 Squadron

Survivors

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.

Specifications (S-199)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.94 m (29 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 9.92 m (32 ft 6 in)
• Height: 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 16.2 m² (174 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,650 kg (5,840 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,740 kg (8,245 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Junkers Jumo 211F liquid-cooled inverted V-12, 880 kW (1,200 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 590 km/h (320 kn, 370 mph)
• Combat radius: 850 km (530 mi)
• Service ceiling: 8,686 m (28,500 ft)
• Rate of climb: 11 m/s (2,200 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 231 kg/m² (47.3 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 321 W/kg (0.195 hp/lb)

Armament

• Guns:
  
  • 2× 13 mm MG 131 machine guns
  • 2× MG 151/20 cannons
• Bombs:
  
  • 1× 250 kg (551 lb) or
  • 4× 70 kg (155 lb) bombs

See also

Related development

• Messerschmitt Bf 109
• Hispano Aviación HA-1112
  

Comparable aircraft

• Supermarine Spitfire
• Yakovlev Yak-9
  

Related lists

• List of fighter aircraft
  

References

External links

• 101 Squadron, Israel's first fighter squadron
• Israeli Air-to-Air Victories in 1948-1966