Isreali 1973 Yom Kippur War Veteran DROR (Sparrow)

History:
Manufactured at the Oberpafenhoffen Plant in Munich German on 2 June 1959 as SN (CN 391)as a Do27-B3. Retained at Dornier until delivery in Oct. 1959 HFInstKP 307 (HEERESFLIEGERINSTANTSETSUNGSKOMPANIE) Aviation Repair Company at Niedermendig and serialized as PL+425. Later served with HFst 301(renamed HFB 300 in 1962 and in 1971 HFB 301)as Serial PP+105. Converted to a Do27-B5 model (Dual Controls with Reconnaissance Camera Ventral Doors) and re-serialized as PX+220 in May 1967. HEER changed the Serial No. system and it became 56+83 in Nov. 1967. Was surplussed in 1972, purchased by the CIA, given a N number for one day, and flown by a French pilot to Israel. It was converted to a standard DROR (Sparrow) configuration, by replacing ARC44/45 tube radios with ARC-51 and ARC 131 transistorized type and installation of the APX-72 IFF transponder and upgrade of the Gyro Compass. The aircraft was assigned to the FLYING CAMEL (100) SQDR (Still exists today) as IAF Serial 061. It flew on the front lines doing gunnery spotting during the October 1973 Yom Kippur War. Two of the type were shot down by Egyptian (Russian made) Shoulder Fired Surface to Air Missiles in that conflict. Countermeasures against that threat were installed – a 4 tube IR Flare Dispenser system. Israel surplussed the type in 1982 and 13 were shipped to Blaine WA. Of those, only a few survive;this is one of 2 still airworthy in the US. Great effort was made in the restoration of IAF #061 to retain most of the original instrumentation and avionics suite.

Top

Specifications

Registration Number	Date of Manufacture
N780AX	October 1959
Aircraft Role	Nickname
Utility/Reconnaissance/Gunnery Spotter/Comm Relay	DROR–Sparrow (Israel)/ Flying Pig (German)
Aircraft Type:	Wingspan:
DORNIER Do-27-B5	40′
Overall length:	Empty weight:
38′	2100 lbs
Gross weight:	Fuel capacity:
4040 lbs	54 Gal
Oil capacity	Engine type:
12 Qts	BMW (Lycoming Licensed) GO480-B1A6
Propeller type:	Max Speed
Hartzell 2 blade, Vari-pitch	180 Knots
Rate of Climb	Cruise Speed
1000 Ft/Min (typical)	100 knots
Service Ceiling	Number of Crew
12,000	3
Armament	Bomb Load
4 tube Flare Dispenser / Flare Gun
Number Built	Number Surviving
625 Do27’s; Estimates 38 as IAF DROR’s	less than 70 Do27’s; 2 airworthy as IAF DROR’s