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Info Eduard - December 2010
Page 13
The reissuing of a model kit, when there is a maintained
level of demand after the initial sellout of the kit, presents
the manufacturer with a chance of modifying and
improving upon the original edition of the kit, particularly
if a significant amount of time has elapsed between
initial and subsequent releases. Research progress
in the field of aviation history continues in leaps and
bounds, revealing new facts and color schemes, and it is
necessary to take advantage of these in the re-editions.
As such, Eduard has decided to dust off the Mirage
IIIC kit, currently as a Profipack kit targeting the Israeli
Air Force Mirage IIICJ consistent with the most recent
information that has come to light, with new camouflage
and decals. What has remained the same is the painting
by Martin Novotny, with Mirage No. 159 as the subject of
the boxart. This is based on information available more
than six years ago, and has now been tweaked based
on more recent data. The painting should then be taken
as using a certain amount of artistic license, if you will,
illustrating combat between Israeli and Arab jets during
the Yom Kippur War, rather than an actual accurate
historical depiction. As it turns out, the representation on
the box depicts the aircraft with at least two significant
historical inaccuracies, concerning the black and yellow
quick recognition triangles, and the number of kills
depicted under the cockpit. In the following sentences,
I will try to clear up and briefly detail the history of Sahak
No. 59. This aircraft is one of two Mirage IIICJs credited
with 13 kills. It was delivered in 1962 to the 101st
Tayeset Ha’Krav Ha’Rishona (First Fighter Squadron).
On December 14, 1966, flown by Yoram Agmon, the
jet was the first to record a kill by a Mirage in the world.
Further kills followed quite quickly, so that by 1970, there
was a total of eleven. At the time, the plane still flew in
a natural metal finish, as delivered by the manufacturer,
and there were ten kill marks painted under the cockpit.
The identification number was changed to ‘259’, where
the ‘2’ identified service with the 101st Tayeset.
At the beginning of the seventies, the aircraft received
the standard Israeli three-color scheme in use since
1967. This consisted of sand
FS 33531, green FS
34227 and brown FS 30219, with light blue FS 35622
undersides. The last two kills came in 1973, one on
September 13th, and the other on October 6th on the first
day of the Yom Kippur War. On the next day, the plane
was severely damaged in an aborted take-off by Israel
Baharav, who was injured in the incident. At this time,
the aircraft had twelve kill marks painted under the cockpit.
While the pilot was able to return to duty on October 13th,
the aircraft was damaged such that repairs took almost
a full year. It was returned to service through 1974, but
likely with an Atar 9C engine and with the identifier ‘159’
and black and yellow recognition triangles. These quick
identifiers were applied on Israeli aircraft from October
14, 1973, when Israeli ground units were first attacked by
Libyan Mirages operating out of Egypt.
Shortly after its return from repairs, it was converted
to a photoreconnaissance version with a Mosel nose
and components of the Nesher, and renumbered as
‘459’, with the ‘4’ signifying a recon bird. At the end of
the seventies, it was re-converted to a fighter, and as
‘159’ assigned to 254th Tayeset Mercaz Ha’Medina
(Middland Squadron). In 1982, it was sold to Argentina.
In 2003, the aircraft was sold back to Israel for a symbolic
sum, and is today displayed at the Aviation Museum at
Hatzerim. If we compare ‘159’ on the boxart to the above
noted revelations, the following can be concluded: the
aircraft is depicted during the Yom Kippur War, which
was theoretically possible, but unlikely in this guise.
At the beginning of the war, the aircraft carried 12 kill
marks and not six. The other problem concerns the
recognition triangles, which, as noted, began to be
applied on October 14th, 1973. The aircraft at that time
was not airworthy due to the serious damage sustained
on October 7th, 1973.
However, not even the new research can take
away from the artwork that so effectively captures the
atmosphere of combat conducted by Mirages flying the
Star of David as the sixties gave way to the seventies.
Aerial Victories of Mirage 59:
Date Tayeset Pilot Victim Armament
used
14. 7. 1966 101 Joram Agmon MiG-21 (Syria) cannon
5. 6. 1967 101 Ilan Gonen Il-14 (Egypt) cannon
6. 6. 1967 101 Uri Šachar MiG-19 (Egypt) cannon
7. 7. 1969 101 Oded Marom MiG-21 (Egypt) cannon
20. 7. 1969 101 Giora Joeli MiG-17 (Egypt) cannon
11. 9. 1969 101 Giora Epstein Su-7 (Egypt) cannon
11. 11. 1969 101 Jair Sela MiG-21 (Egypt) cannon
4. 1. 1970 101 Oded Marom MiG-21 (Egypt) cannon
6. 3. 1970 101 Jiftach Spector MiG-21 (Egypt) cannon
10. 7. 1970 101 Israel Baharav MiG-21 (Egypt) cannon
10. 7. 1970 101 Israel Baharav MiG-21 (Egypt) AIM-9B
13. 9. 1973 101 Avraham Salmon MiG-21 (Syria) AIM-9D
6. 10. 1973 101 Eitan Karmi EAF AS-5 „Kelt“ (Egypt)
cannon
Sources:
Shlomo Aloni: The June 1967 Six-Day War, Isradecal Publications 2008
Shlomo Aloni: Israeli Mirage and Nesher Aces, Osprey Publishing, 2004
Yoav Efrati: Colors and Markings of the IAF, Isradecal Publications 2005
HISTORY