Markings for Avia S-199 bubble canopy 1/48
COL A
Police Air Patrol, Brno/Olomouc, Czechoslovakia, 1949
The Police Air Patrol of the Security Air Force (until mid-December 1947 the National Security Air Force) used this aircraft at Brno and Olomouc airports. At the time of its service with the Police Air Patrol, it bore the standard livery of this air force, i.e., light grey paint on the upper surfaces and dark grey on the lower surfaces, complemented by scarlet paint on the nose and leading edge of the wing. Also, the horizontal tail surfaces were the same color. The reconstruction of the color scheme was based on photographs of similar aircraft as no photographs of OK-BXK have survived. The serial number is still unknown, but could probably be 201, 410 or in the range 414 to 416. There is full range of digits for creating any number.
COL B
S-199.210, Aviation Regiment 5, Plzeň-Bory, Czechoslovakia, 1950
Nose-art was rare on Czechoslovak Air Force aircraft in the 1950´s and 1960´s. Rigid discipline and regulations did not favor such activities, but from time to time commanders apparently turned a blind eye to a certain level of expressionism. Something like this may have happened in 1949 or 1950 at LP 5 (Aviation Regiment 5). A carefully crafted heraldic silhouette in white appeared on the aircraft. We will probably never know which emblem was to be subsequently added to it, because before the painting could be finished, the aircraft suffered an emergency landing. During subsequent repairs, the aircraft either received a new engine cowling or the in-progress nose-art was deleted. One likely possibility of the original intent might be the emblem of the local football club Baník Líně. As a result, this aircraft can be modeled in both states, i.e., with the white coat of arms only, or in the form it probably would have taken, if higher powers had not intervened. We don't know if the emblem would have been painted on the starboard side as well, since only the port side was photographed. However, decals are provided for either version. This aircraft was subsequently used by training units. It was handed over by LP 5 (Aviation Regiment No. 5) on July 8, 1950 to the Aviation Training School. From April 1953, it served with No. 4 lsp (Aviation Training Regiment 4) and then was transferred to No. 2 lsp (Aviation Training Regiment 2). Finally, at the end of 1954, it was passed on to No. 1 lsp (Aviation Training Regiment 1) where it completed its service career.
COL C
S-199.165, Lt. Vladislav Petráš, 1 Squadron, 18 Aviation Regiment, Plzeň-Skvrňany, Czechoslovakia, July 1952
This aircraft was test-flown at the end of October 1948 by the factory pilot Petr Široký and on November 23 it was flown to the designated Pilsen Aviation Regiment 4. On March 19, 1950, the aircraft was damaged, subsequently repaired and reassigned to its unit in mid-July of the same year. From April 1952 it was used by the 1 Squadron of the 18 Aviation Regiment at the Plzeň-Skvrňany airfield. On July 23, 1952, this Avia, codenamed PS-15, was flown by Lt. Vladislav Petráš who was performing a training flight. During it, a technical malfunction occurred, and the pilot had to make an emergency belly-landing near Trhové Dušníky, Příbram district. In such a landing, the aircraft suffered only minor damage, especially to the propeller blades and was subsequently repaired.
COL D
S-199.310, PFC Josef Mucha, Aviation School Regiment 5, Zvolen, Sliač AB, Czechoslovakia, August 1952
This “Mezek” was assigned to Aviation Regiment 7 on August 4, 1948 and flew first with the Staff Flight coded JP-1. Later, it was assigned to No. 3 Squadron, and its code was changed to KT-3. On March 9, 1949, it was damaged during an emergency landing near Boskovice and was sent in for factory repairs. Staff Captain Truhlář conducted an acceptance flight on July 14, 1949, in Kunovice and on August 17, 1950, the aircraft was transferred from Aviation Regiment 1 to the Aviation School. Later, after repairs at Avia, it was assigned to Aviation School Regiment 5, where it received the code UL-51. On August 26, 1952, a take-off was aborted by PFC Josef Mucha, causing damage. No further records are available. This aircraft is listed among the ones delivered to Israel, although the records of its service in Czechoslovakia contradict this. The same can be said for S-199s Nos. 302, 307 and 311. Of the five “Mezek” aircraft produced by Aero and delivered to Israel as part of the second batch of fifteen aircraft (ten being delivered by Avia), only the case of No. 287 is certain. As part of its service with the school regiment, aircraft 310 was given yellow markings, indicating its function as a trainer. These consisted of a band on the spine at the rear fuselage and stripes on the upper sides of both wings. The wing stripes wrapped around the leading edge before terminating behind it on the lower surface. Interestingly, although the aircraft lacked the wing-mounted machine guns, at least in available photographs, the spent cartridge collector bulges remained below the wings.
COL E
S-199.340, Lt. František Kratochvíla, No. 3 Squadron, 51 Aviation Regiment, Mladá, Czechoslovakia, July 1952
Not much is known about the early service of this aircraft. It was manufactured in the summer of 1948. The aircraft underwent general overhaul in Kunovice from June 5 to November 20, 1950, and served with the Police Air Patrol service briefly (this aviation arm of the Police was disbanded on December 23, 1950). In May 1952, it was assigned to Aviation Regiment 51, where it was first assigned to No. 4 Squadron and then served, after reorganization of the regiment, with No. 3 Squadron, which retained the original Police code of its aircraft (numbers B-0311 and higher). On July 30, 1952, the aircraft made an emergency landing in Zvolen while being flown by Lt. František Kratochvíla. This aircraft was one of a number that retained their simplified Police markings, including the red nose, horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The army roundels on the wings were overpainted in a darker colour than the camouflage coat. The same color was used to adapt the insignia on the rudder from circular to triangles with curved edges. It is not known what specific color was used, but it may have been a darker shade of green used later on the S-199.
COL F
S-199.531 Lt. Václav Dvořák, No. 2 Squadron, Aviation Fighter Regiment 3, Brno-Černovice, Czechoslovakia, April 1953
This “Mezek” was test flown on April 19, 1950 and was one of the last of this type produced. From June 12, 1950 it was assigned to the Air Reserve (LZ 8) at Zvolen Air Base with assignment to the VLT (Air Force Headquarters) in Prešov. Later it was transferred to Aviation Regiment 3, which was part of 22 Air Fighter Division, comprising units flying piston engined fighter aircraft. There, “Mule” 531 served with the code GY-35. On April 5, 1953, Lt. Václav Dvořák made an emergency landing with it due to an injection pump malfunction. The airframe was written off. The aircraft was visibly worn at the time with numerous signs of repairs to the original paint, which had been made in a darker shade of green. The engine cowling was apparently a replacement unit from a machine painted in the later, darker shade, but darker spots were also visible on it. These were likely the result of contrast between fresh and faded paint of the same shade. Similar signs of repairs were found on older Avia S-199s of the unit.