Aircraft Trivia Quiz

I think it is the Curtis H-75 (also called Hawk) It was one of the french most numerous fighters and was used by the Vichy French against american forces during operation Torch.

Only nitpick is that I would consider France western Europe, not east or central. So that is why I think my answer maybe wrong (only eastern eureopean country to speak a Latin language is Romainia)

Spanish Bf-109s?

Nope, not the Gladiator.

Here are the clues again:

1. This was a top of the line aircraft

2. The country that sold it then invaded the country it sold them to.

3. The aircraft had  recently been involved in probably it's most famous battle

4. The recipiant country is in central/eastern Europe, and speaks a Latin language.

I'll take stab at it, Finnish Gladiators?

Milairjunkie wrote:

BUT, it's Soviet, it's pot ugly & it couldn't be called a strike fighter as it seems it could carry Fuel or Weapon, but rarely both at the same time. Unless it planned to strike the ship it was launching from, It wouldn't be striking much.

True enough

OK, I should have been a bit more thorough with my research, the Yak-38 was VTOL + supersonic in 1971ish.

BUT, it's Soviet, it's pot ugly & it couldn't be called a strike fighter as it seems it could carry Fuel or Weapon, but rarely both at the same time. Unless it planned to strike the ship it was launching from, It wouldn't be striking much.

Milairjunkie wrote:

In more recent years the F-35 has managed to combine VTOL & supersonic performance.

Interestingly enough, the Soviet Yak-38 "Forger" did it first, over 30 years ago.

Correct,

The Mirage Balzak 5 & then Mirage IIIV were developed in response to a NATO request for a supersonic VTOL strike fighter - the request was ahead of its time & was not realised at that time.

In more recent years the F-35 has managed to combine VTOL & supersonic performance.

Phil_H,

I have no problem with that at all, you carry on all you want, as I dont like to see this thread dropping of the end of the second page - I find it quite entertaining.

Its sometimes hard to figure if there are limited / no responses due to nobody being interested, or because the question asked was difficult / stupid in the first place. Either way intervention like yours keeps the thread going.

Hi Milairjunkie,

I'm not actually going for it, I'm just dropping the odd cryptic clue  when there's a couple of wrong guesses, and apologise for crashing in on your question. I guess I'm playing along without actually playing.

I know I'm not playing strictly by the rules and if anyone has a problem with this, plese let me know and I'll refrain.

Cryptic or what?

Since you know, you are probably as well as going for it? Or do you, like me find the answers easier than the questions?

Phil_H wrote:

simpilot34 wrote: The Kestrel? the prototype concept aircraft for the....Harrier I have a feeling you should be looking across the ditch.

Yes, that would be correct & The A/C which made the request a reality came from across the pond.

The A/C that made the request a reality has nothing to do with the first A/C or the program that it was involved with.

simpilot34 wrote:

The Kestrel? the prototype concept aircraft for the....Harrier

I have a feeling you should be looking across the ditch.

This rather hopeful (for its day) A/C program had at least two fatal accidents & nine engines.

Name the A/C, its immediate successor & the A/C which eventually made the original request a reality.

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). 

The A/C in question is the Avia S-199, which was a Czech built Me-109 copy.

The Aircraft aquired the nickname Mule from it pilots - the Czech pilots had previously flown Spitfires & in comparison the poorly engined (J211F) S-199 handled like a "Mule".

Avia sold the S-199 to Israel, where it was called "Sakeen" (knife), which is presumably in connection with good old Willy's last name.

I doubt that Willy would have been much enamoured by Israelis using his baby.