At the end of the War of Independence, the Israel Air Force (IAF) received one hundred and twenty-one aircraft out of one hundred and forty-seven purchased. Of those one hundred and twenty-one, thirty-three were lost to combat or accidentes and forty-three others were grounded for various reasons.
A total of twenty Stearman Kaydets arrived in Israel at the end of 1948, but their assembly process was very slow and it wasn't until December 1949 when the PT-17 were ready. The Kaydets were initially painted in camofulage green/brown with underwing red bands for quick identification as a trainer aircraft.
To replace the volunteers in the IAF, a training school was established at Kfar Sirkin on 1st January 1950. This school was equipped with North American Harvards and Boeing Stearman Kaydets for pilot training and with Airspeed Consuls and Avro Ansons for multi-engine and navigator training.
The Stearman became the favourite trainer aircraft for pilot training, even over the more modern Fokker S-11 monoplane, which was assigned to other roles in 1953. By this time the Kaydets were painted in silver with red bands under the wings and fuselage.
More Stearmans were acquired over the next years and by the time of Suez Crisis (1956), there were a total of sixty-three Kaydets serving with the IAF, twenty-five of them assigned to 147 Squadron, which was created expressly to flight the Boeing Stearman in the reserve liaison and surveillance unit. These Kaydets were detached from the Flying School which kept the remaining Stearmans.
The 147 Squadron was formed in January 1953 as a reserve unit to be activated in times of emergency. Operating from Ramleh, this unit was subordinated to 100 Squadron and was initially designated as 1000 Squadron, but their number was changed to 147 on 1st January 1955.
It was activated on 27th October 1956 for the Suez Crisis under the command of Cpt. Meir Shefer, with 25 Stearmans but only 12 pilots, consisting on both reserves and qualified students, among them Rina Levinson, one of the few female pilots of the IAF.
During this short-lived conflict, the 147 flew 401 sorties, adding up to 233 flying hours. Operating from Ramleh, close to IAF's headquarters, the squadron flew in the communications, liaison, transport, patrol and reconnaissance missions both day and night.
Once the conflict was over, on 7th November 1956, the Stearmans were sent back to the Flying School where they were employed in their original trainer role and the squadron was deactivated.
It was activated on 27th October 1956 for the Suez Crisis under the command of Cpt. Meir Shefer, with 25 Stearmans but only 12 pilots, consisting on both reserves and qualified students, among them Rina Levinson, one of the few female pilots of the IAF.
During this short-lived conflict, the 147 flew 401 sorties, adding up to 233 flying hours. Operating from Ramleh, close to IAF's headquarters, the squadron flew in the communications, liaison, transport, patrol and reconnaissance missions both day and night.
Once the conflict was over, on 7th November 1956, the Stearmans were sent back to the Flying School where they were employed in their original trainer role and the squadron was deactivated.
The Stearman was IAF's primary trainer until 1960 when they were replaced by the French Fouga Magister jet trainer.
Sources:
1st Scale Aircraft Modelling - Camouflage & Markings - 03 - The Israeli Air Force (1) 1948-67
2nd Hellion & Company - Middle East at War 28 75 Years of the Israeli Air Force Volume 1 The First Quarter Century 1948-1973 (e)
3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing-Stearman_Model_75
4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/147_Squadron_(Israel)
