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Sud Aviation Vautour |
A reconstruction of probably the most secretive aircraft of Operation Focus: originally manufactured as a Vautour IIN, the first jet in this series was equipped as a test-bed for the Cyrano Ibis radar before delivery to Israel. In service with the IDF/AF, it received the serial number 70. In May 1967, while still wearing the bare metal overall livery – but already decorated with a nick applied in red and black – it was slated for conversion to reconnaissance configuration. Before this could be applied, the May 1967 crisis erupted. On the morning of 5 June 1967, it was equipped with a pair of Thomson-CSF Calypso jamming pods (known as ‘Yabelet’ in Israel and shown below the main artwork), and – together with the similarly-equipped Vautour IIB serial number 65 – escorted by two Mirage IIICJs, flew a stand-off electronic support mission over the Mediterranean Sea, north of Port Said, disturbing the work of Egyptian early warning radars and SA-2 SAM sites. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)