Wow talk about irony...

[TheMightyFavog]

How's this for Irony? http://www.internethobbies.com/internethobbies/ac148avs1air.html The Isrealis useda variant of The Messerchmitt Me` 109, a German WWII fighter in their Air Force in the first years of their existance.

[DAGDA56]

1. A good fighter plane is a good fighter plane...

...and I imagine post-war surplus prices meant a new nation could build up a decent air force on the cheap. Remember, that alot of those who emigrated to Israel came from Germany, so they could read the owner's manuals.

[historian]

2. not only that

but they bought a lot of arms from czechoslovakia (formerly nazi and then soviet) - they didnt care where they got them from - they only wanted to defend themselves.

[TheMightyFavog]

3. Well the variant of Me 109 was a Czech one.

End of Line.

I just found it kind of ironic.

[HawkerHurricane]

5. Bf-109's

Were flown by quite a few countries, including Isreal (who also flew thier Battle of Britain opponent, the Spitfire), Switzerland (who got them in trade for not telling the Allies about the German plane that flew into Switzerland and was interned), and Spain.

Spain would later re-engine thier 109's with Hispano engines... which were made under liscense Rolls Royce Merlins, the engine used by both the Spitfire and the Hurricane...

[Robb]

4. I can't hear "Messerschmitt"

...without thinking about that joke where the guy was talking to the news crew about "All dese Fokkers" strafing the field in WWII. The announcer explains that Fokkers are a kind of aircraft, and the man replies "Yah, yah. Only dese Fokkers were flying Messerschmitts." ;)

[historian]

6. good one - clap clap

[ForrestGump]

7. Didn't they also use surplus Panzers?

Specifically, the workhorse PzKpfw IV...or was that Syria or some other place? I know that the Israelis used American Shermans.

[HawkerHurricane]

8. Syria, yes...

Since Syria was part of the 'French Mandate', they recieved thier equipment from the French, who had a glut of German tanks lying around for some reason...

BTW, France would take the factory that produced the Panther, move it to France, and produce Panthers (Pzkw V) for 10 years after the war!