Editing Israeli Air Force (section)

===Early years (1948–1967)===
[[File:Avia S-199 in June 1948 (Israeli Air Force).png|thumb|An [[Avia S-199]]]]
Forerunners of the Israeli Air Force were [[Sherut Avir]], the air wing of the [[Haganah]], and the Palestine Flying Service established by the [[Irgun]] in 1937.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.machal.org.il/air-force/the-israeli-air-force-iaf-in-the-war-of-independence/ | title = The Israeli Air Force (IAF) in the War of Independence |website=World Machal | access-date = June 6, 2012}}.</ref>
The Israeli Air Force formed on May 28, 1948, shortly after Israel declared statehood and [[1948 Arab–Israeli War|found itself under attack]]. The force consisted of a hodge-podge of commandeered or donated civilian aircraft converted to military use. A variety of obsolete and surplus ex-[[World War II]] combat-aircraft were quickly sourced by various means to supplement this fleet. The backbone of the IAF consisted of 25 [[Avia S-199]]s [[Arms shipments from Czechoslovakia to Israel 1947–49|purchased from Czechoslovakia]], essentially [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovak]]-built [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]]s, and 60 [[Supermarine Spitfire]] LF Mk IXEs, the first of which, "Israel 1", was locally assembled from British abandoned spare parts and a salvaged engine from an [[Egyptian Air Force]] Spitfire, with most of the rest purchased from Czechoslovakia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iaf.org.il/8491-45219-he/IAF.aspx|title=אתר חיל-האוויר: השחור החדש|website=www.iaf.org.il|access-date=March 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316113400/http://www.iaf.org.il/8491-45219-he/IAF.aspx|archive-date=March 16, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Israel's new fighter-arm first went into action on May 29, 1948, assisting efforts to halt the Egyptian advance from [[Gaza City|Gaza]] northwards.

On May 30, after un-assembled planes were strafed on the ground at [[Tel Nof Airbase|Ekron airfield]], the fighters were moved to makeshift strip located around the current [[Herzliya Airport]]. The airfield was used as it was a bit back from the front-lines, and was clandestine since it was a purpose built strip, that was constructed after the beginning of hostilities, in between the orange orchards around Herzliya, and did not appear on published maps. The Israeli Air Force scored its first aerial victories on June 3 when Modi Alon, flying Avia D.112, shot down two Egyptian Air Force [[DC-3]]s which had just bombed [[Tel Aviv]]. The first dogfight against enemy fighters took place a few days later, on June 8, when Gideon Lichtaman shot down an Egyptian [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories/victories-israel.html | title= Aces | publisher= Safarikovi | access-date= September 8, 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110815145038/http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories/victories-israel.html | archive-date= August 15, 2011 | url-status= live }}</ref>

During these initial operations, the squadron operated with a few planes versus almost complete Arab theater [[air supremacy]]. The airplanes were parked dispersed between the orange trees. The fighters were moved in October to [[Hatzor Airbase]] from the Herzliya strip due to its unsuitability in rainy conditions, probable loss of clandestine status, moving front lines which made former British bases safe for use, and a shift in the balance of [[air superiority]] towards the Israelis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/how-nazi-fighter-planes-saved-israel-c2b54f34c2a8|title=How Nazi Fighter Planes Saved Israel|first=War Is|last=Boring|date=August 15, 2016|access-date=March 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308232125/https://medium.com/war-is-boring/how-nazi-fighter-planes-saved-israel-c2b54f34c2a8|archive-date=March 8, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aopa.org.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%92%D7%9B%D7%92%D7%93%D7%9A%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%97%D7%99%D7%9A%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%93%D7%97/|title=שדה הרצליה – ימים ראשונים/תא"ל (מיל') ד"ר דני אשר|website=www.aopa.org.il|access-date=March 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315180037/https://www.aopa.org.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%92%D7%9B%D7%92%D7%93%D7%9A%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%97%D7%99%D7%9A%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%93%D7%97/|archive-date=March 15, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.walla.co.il/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315175212/http://news.walla.co.il/item/384730 |title=חדשות מהארץ ומהעולם: כתבות ודיווחים שוטפים 7\24 &#124; וואלה! חדשות|archive-date=March 15, 2017|website=וואלה!}}</ref>