The Little World

And one from Column B. That’s how you make an air force out of bits from the scrap heap.
That’s how the Israelis did it in ’48. I’ve been reading of the formation of the IAF and the war of independence against the Egyptians, Jordanians, Lebanese, Syrians, and British. It would appear that the supply and logistics for the IDF was like our Saturday dinner – everything that’s left over from the rest of the week.

I’ve not based my Israeli Texan on this war – mine is painted in the colours of the 1956 war, when there were a lot more and a lot better aircraft on the roster – but I’ve taken the hint about making do with what is available. I’ve found an IDF Texan at a museum in Israel that has been repainted in ’56 colours and that has some evidence that it was used in combat – if not then, then perhaps in the ’48-’49 period.

There are records of a number of Texans or Harvards being fitted with racks for 50lb bombs and used in ground support or nighttime bombing. I have a set of Japanese light bombs left over from an Airfix Nakajima kit, and I was wise enough to squirrel away the appropriate bomb racks in my ” Airframe ” spares box. The museum Texan shows the nubbins of attachment points still, so I feel justified in clapping on the Jap ones.

The museum example has lost its radio mast or antenna stubs – leading me to think it might be one of the ’48 ones. If they add one in the future, I’ll dig in the spares box and follow suit – until then, no.

Not sure if I should go with the complete weathering job – That Israeli sun looks like it has done a fierce job on the museum planes.