Israel
Air Force Museum
Israel got a pretty big air-force. Once upon a time they also had Spitfires,
Mustangs and Mosquitos. If they had taken care of any of them after they were
retired I didn't really know, so I visited the Israeli Air Force Museum to
check it out!
Friends of my Israeli girlfriend make a phone call to the museum prior to our
arrival and arranged a meet up with our own guide. Pretty good service if you
ask me. Maybe the museum doesn't really get masses of visitors! The museum in
Baar Sheva opened in 1991 and is basically a large out-doors museum with a
real air force base close by. When we arrived at the museum we were met with
smiling Israeli female soldiers who more than willingly guided us through
parts of Israel's air force history. The country has been through most fighter
aircrafts since the end of world war two, among those the previously mentioned
piston aircrafts. Gloster Meteor, F-4 Phantom, F-16 and F-85 Sabe are amongst
the more familiar jet aircrafts.
Israels Spitfire MKIX C "Black Six". By many regarded as the most beatiul
Spitfire in the world.
The aircrafts were presented to us over a rather large area. A beatiful example
of a Spitfire MkIX C in flying condition, called «Black Six» were one of the
highlights. Not a common sight to see a Spitfire in a black and red apperance!
Right across to «Black Six» were two other MkIX in a much worse condition. It
clearly shows they've been out in the sun for a good while. To me, they appeared
to not being treated to well. From the information I could gather at the site,
the Spitfires were buildt up by various of Spitfire parts and wrecks that the
British forces left in Israel after their withdrawal.
P-51 Mustang D
Some of the wrecks and parts had apperantly been smuggled into the country in
the mid to late 40's so they at least had some kind of air force at all!
Besides the Spitfires, the museum also had a very interesting Czech-buildt
Messerschmitt 109. The plane have shot down Egyptian aircrafts after
encounters with the Egyptian air force in the early days of the Israeli state.
P-51 Mustangs are also represented. These too were buildt out of different
parts and wrecks that was left behind in the area. The Mustangs wete also in a
partly bad condition. Through an aviation enthusiasts eyes, it might be a
little handle to risk historic and valuable planes like this. The heat that
usually exists in Israel doesn't do these fighters any good.
Israel also had De Havilland Mosquito planes in the 40's and 50's.
Unfortenately, only a few wrecked engines are left of these beatiful planes. The
Mosquito aircrafts were buildt out of wood and the wood didn't really react well
to the heat in Israel! Inside a larger passanger aircraft and nice memorial
exists of a Mosquito crew who lost their lives in the service. Due to the fact
that Egypt also had allied aircrafts in their possesion after the war, some
freaky situations would appear where Mustang fighters would shoot down
Mosquito's or DC-3 planes when Egypt and Israel first met in the air after world
war two ended.
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A De Havilland Rapide
from the 30's also exists in this out-door museum. Same type of aircrart I had
a ride in around Duxford in 2006. This Rapide in Israel was sorry to say
poorly treated. A Dakota DC-3 was standing nearby and also this seemed to be
in bad condition. Loose paint, rust and corrotion. Amongst other piston
engines aircraft was the American Grumman Avenger. Avengers were used as
torpedo bombers in the Pacific during the war. Israel never used these bombers
at all, but in this case, one of these aircrafts were bought by a smart
Israeli farmer who used it to spray his fields with water in the 50's and
60's. This too, is in bad condition hidden behind a hangar.
The
collection at this museum consists of a large amount of F-4 Phantom fighters.
Likely to have been used extensively by the Israeli air force and now retired
for service. In a closed area nearby I was able to count at least 15 Phantoms. I
played with the idea about asking just how much it would cost to buy one of
them! Something to play with in the garden! Some of the Phantom's on the actual
museum area had visible bullet holes and damage from combat with Egyptian or
Syrian fighters in the past.
One of the most interesting aircrafts in the museums possession is the Israeli
experiemental jet fighter. The project was stopped a while ago due to high
costs. It might look a little bit like an F-16 on steroids! It looks like a
dream and I can imagine it was an expensive project!
My Israeli friends were less interested in fighter aircrafts than me (who can
blame them?) and more interested in going to the beatiful city of Eilat, so we
left the area unfortenately a little bit earlier than I would have wanted to. I
managed to check out a Czech Spitfire MkIX from up close. This Spitfire was
flown directly from Czechoslovakia. It's painted in Czech colours, but as with
the other out-door exhibitions, the Spitfire looked pretty sloppy.
Spitfire in Czech colours but with Israeli markings
To offer a deal on one of the Phantom's is one thing,
but if I could I would have volenteerily showed up at the base with a bucket
of water, a swamp and cleaned these Spitfires myself. Maybe next time!
(C) Tor Idar Larsen 2007
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