IDF Bonanza V (1948)

Beechcraft Bonanza V35

IDF 1948

The IDF/AF operated 3 Bonanzas from 1948 through to 1952. Two were purchased in South Africa from donation from the local Jewish community and flown overland to Israel. The other was bought in the Netherlands. Initially bombs were dropped by hand out the cargo door but later racks were added. There were even experiments with strafing - a crewman would lie on the floor of the cabin with a machinegun out the cargo door while the pilot circled the target.

There are no hardpoints to the model so no bombracks but its fine for recon.

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The underlying panel lines come from the paint kit for the Beech Bonanza V35B (Flightsim) by Alexandre Cadel.

Thanks go to allenjb42 for his help doing the skin for this one.

Wing Palette shows a green and tan Bonanza, while the surviving photos show a single mottled colour (tan or green) over the aluminium base from earlier in 1948. I've chosen the latter.

LloydNB