Manufacturer: Revell
Scale: 1/72
Additional parts: none
Model build: Jun-Aug 2014
Czech Airforce Avia S-96
Revell
1/72
1/72
The Jestráb's Last Sting
August 1948, Czechoslovakia
Sunlight glinted off the dew-kissed wings of the Avia S-96 "Jestráb" (Hawk) as Captain Janek "Ironbird" Voříšek strapped himself in. This wasn't your typical jet fighter. The sleek Me 262 airframe hummed with the powerful roar of a Daimler-Benz DB 605 piston engine, a unique Czechoslovakian solution to the early jet's unreliability.
Ironbird wasn't fond of the Jestráb's nickname. It was a powerful bird, sure, but landing this thing with its long nose and tricky tail gear was a constant test of nerve. Today, however, nerves were a luxury he couldn't afford.
Intelligence reports crackled through his headset. A group of heavily armed Soviet fighters had strayed across the border, most likely on a reconnaissance mission. Tensions between the East and West were at an all-time high, and this airspace violation couldn't be ignored.
Ironbird fired up the engine, the propeller churning the air with a satisfying whir. He taxied onto the runway, a lone defender against the approaching steel storm. Taking off, he climbed into the azure sky, the familiar landscape of his homeland shrinking beneath him.
Ahead, a flight of four Yak-9 fighters gleamed under the sun. The Soviet planes were nimble, but the Jestráb packed a punch. Ironbird flipped a switch, engaging the four 20mm cannons nestled in the wings. He dove in, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
The air erupted in a ballet of fire and tracers. One Yak sputtered and went down, trailing smoke. The remaining three turned, their cannons spitting fire. Ironbird's evasive maneuvers were textbook, but the Jestráb's landing gear made sharp turns a gamble.
Suddenly, a Yak clipped his wing. The Jestráb shuddered violently, one engine sputtering. Ironbird fought for control, his heart hammering against his ribs. He couldn't break off. He had to protect his airspace.
With a daring gambit, he lined up the remaining Yaks. He wouldn't get a full burst, but it might be enough. He squeezed the trigger, the cannons coughing a final challenge.
One Yak faltered, smoke billowing from its fuselage. The remaining two, clearly spooked, banked away and disappeared into the distance.
Ironbird, his plane battered and barely responding, limped back towards base. Smoke filled the cockpit, the once proud Jestráb groaning in protest. Every fiber of his being screamed to abandon ship, but the thought of the lush green fields of his homeland falling under foreign occupation spurred him on.
With a final surge of power, Ironbird wrestled the Jestráb onto the runway, the landing a bone-jarring affair that sent the plane skidding to a halt. He slumped back in his seat, coughing, the taste of victory mixed with burnt metal in his mouth.
He may have flown a relic, a cobbled-together marvel from a bygone era, but today, the Jestráb had proven its sting. Ironbird, the Ironbird of Czechoslovakia, had chased away the wolves and secured his homeland's skies, at least for now.
A bit real history:
Avia was a Czech aircraft company that produces its own aircraft designs until 1938. After Czech was occupied by Germany, the production was switched to build Germany aircraft designs, like the Ar 95, the Me 109 and in the last months of the war, the Me 262.
After WW2, the exiting tools and prefabricated parts were used to build own versions of the former German designs, the Avia S-99 and Avia S-199 based on the Me 109 and the Avia S-95 based on the Me 262.
The S-99 and S-199, produced until 1951, got famous as they were sold to Israel. The S-95 was flown until 1957.
Now the What-If.....
As the first jet engines were quite unreliable, the Czech engineers came up with the idea to combine the airframe of the S-95 with a piston engine - in this way the Avia S-96 was born.
The Plane:
The first Avia S-96 was completed in October 1946. While the plane was easy to fly, it was tricky to land because of its long nose and the tail gear. By 1949, a total of 56 planes were produced, but with the increased number of jet fighters, they were pulled out of the first line of fighter aircrafts by 1952.
Some - unconfirmed sources say about 20 - planes were modified for the ground attack role with the option to carry various smaller bombs and unguided missiles.
However, the last of the Avia S-96 were taken out of service in 1959, and in difference to the S-95, none of them survived.
The base model for the S-96 is a Revell Me262 kit. Several parts, like prop and oil coolers were taken from the spare parts box. The model is airbrushed with Revell AquaColor and the decals are form a KP MiG15 and the original Revell model.
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