DeHavilland Vampire Mk 5
Royal Egyptian Air Force
Sinai, Egypt, 1953

This little beauty of a model has been in the "can" for a couple of years before it found its way to me.  Best I can tell, the original 3dz is by Earok.  It's also my understanding that further work was done by Col. Gibbon and Geg.  The cockpit was created by Claudio Wilches.  Cockpit wing view is by Gramps (changed by me for the EAF version).  Gramps also did a great new skin (which really should be released also) for a RAAF version but I wanted a more weathered look, which also better disguised the absence of a 3dz turbo jet. Thus, I opted for the default P-38J skin with certain changes to the tex and tra files.

While I recognize this is a beta version, I still thought it was fun enough to use for now. Many thanks to Crashin' Jack and FlyRight for helping fill in this rather significant missing piece in the Arab-Israeli 1948 - 1955 scenario.

The package is a "snapshot" and will install a German nationality craft in whatever slot you wish. You can also just use the files as you normally would.

-RedEyes

6/21/04


Since I wrote the above Crashin' Jack has done quite a bit of work including:

Fixed right wing root
Two new wing views 
Fixed cockpit right shoulder view - removed part of seat back
Fixed pilot - both sides
Altered Planes.dat for jet sound
New jet sounds (recorded in the cockpit of an actual Vampire during a start
and engine run up)
Added hardpoints
New shadow 3dz
New medium distance 3dz
New long distance 3dz
  

My SnapShot does not include the load out changes or new jet sound but FlyRight has put together a package that includes everything and I've included it in this package.

-RedEyes

6/27/04

Since I wrote the above, above, Crashin' Jack has struck again!  This time a real engine intake and exhaust!!!  More updates could follow but this is pretty damn hot now.  FlyRight's package has the most current 3dz as well.  CJ has certainly made this his own.  Many, many thanks.

Also, I thought I would include the files for the P38J slot too to encourage more skins.

-RedEyes

6/29/04



A little history...

The Middle East entered the jet age in October 1949 when the Egyptian Air Force (EAF) received its first jet fighters, Meteor F.4s. By the end of 1952 the EAF had 49 jets, 23 Meteors and 26 de Havilland Vampires in its inventory. Israel had made several attempts to purchase jets from the USA and other European nations beginning in 1950, but these were rejected every time. In August 1952 the British government declared its willingness to sell 14 Meteors to each Middle Eastern nation, seeking to increase its weapons sales while keeping an impartial position. The IAF had long before come to the conclusion that there was no competing with the Arabs on quantity and that Israel had therefore to rely on quality, a stance contrary to the current offer. No nation besides Britain however, would sell jet fighters to Israel and Israel could not stand by while the balance of power was shifting against its favor. On November 23, 1952 the Israeli government approved the purchase and on February 1, 1953 the IAF and Gloster signed a deal for 11 Meteor F.8s and 4 training T.7s. These were the first aircraft the IAF had ever purchased from the manufacturer instead of second-hand examples. The delivery of the F.8s begun on August 21, 1953 and was completed on January 17, 1954. The same year saw the IAF begin negotiations for the procurement of 2 T.7s and 9 Meteor FR.9, an armed tactical reconnaissance variant similar to the F.8. The first pair of FR.9s arrived in January 1955 and by May all 9 aircraft were in Israel.


On August 20, 1955 two Meteors engaged 4 Egyptian de Havilland Vampires over the Negev Desert, one Vampire damaged in the exchange. On the morning of September 1, 1955 four EAF Vampires were spotted crossing the Israeli-Egyptian border at Nitzana and at 06:52 two Meteors, an F.8 and an FR.9, were scrambled to intercept them. After detecting two of the intruders, Captain Aaron Yoali approached the Vampire pair from the rear and downed one from 400m away. Covered by his number two, Captain Yoash Tzidon, Yoali then proceeded to down the second Vampire as well. The first jet kills in the Middle East and the first IAF victories since the War of Independence, the two Vampires earned Aaron Yoali a citation from the IDF Chief-of-Staff.













