Un Mirage sec sans souris!

[Spinners 15,981]

Dassault-Boeing A-11C Mirage - 416th TFS, United States Air Force, 1966

 

Initially designed to a 1953 specification for a lightweight, all-weather interceptor capable of climbing to 18,000 meters within six minutes Dassault's response to the specification was the diminutive MD.550 Mystère-Delta and the first prototype flew on 25 June 1955 powered by two Rolls-Royce Viper turbojet engines initially without afterburners. Quickly redesigned with a new, smaller vertical stabilizer and with improved afterburning engines plus a rocket motor fitted the prototype Mirage I attained Mach 1.3 in level flight without the rocket motor and an impressive Mach 1.6 with the rocket in use. However, the small size of the Mirage I limited it's use in an operational role so Dassault briefly considered an enlarged version known as the Mirage II to be powered by two Turbomeca Gabizo turbojets but quickly abandoned the idea in favour of the Mirage III, a much larger single-engined design to be powered by the new SNECMA Atar afterburning axial flow turbojet and incorporating the new area ruling concept.  

 

The prototype Mirage III took to the air on November 17th 1956 and after reaching speeds of Mach 1.5 the the prototype was then converted to have manually-operated 'souris' intake half-cone shock diffusers which translated forwards as speed increased to reduce inlet turbulence and allowing increased speeds. The stunning success of the Mirage III prototype soon resulted in an order for 10 pre-production Mirage IIIA fighters which were larger all-round and fitted with the more powerful Atar 09B turbojet and the Thomson-CSF Cyrano Ibis air intercept radar. The first Mirage IIIA flew on May 12th 1958 becoming the first European aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in level flight and leading to the Mirage IIIC initial production version.

 

Even though Dassault had quickly gained substantial orders for the Mirage IIIC from the Armée de l'air (and an early export order from Israel for the Mirage IIICJ) Marcel Dassault looked to broaden the appeal of his beloved delta and proposed the Mirage IIIU ('Universel') a cheaper, non-afterburning version for the light attack role with Israel immediately expressing an interest in 50 aircraft for their clear weather attack role. With one eye on a wider third-world market, Dassault launched the aircraft as a private venture but, apart from Israel, gained no immediate export orders until an unexpected request for a service evaluation of the type by the United States Air Force in February 1964. This sudden request by the USAF was the result of heavier than expected attrition in Vietnam and because the Mirage IIIU promised to be available with a relatively short lead time. The USAF evaluation took place at Istres in Southern France during the Spring and early Summer of 1964 and it's success led to an order for 80 Mirage IIIU's to be produced by Dassault and 120 Mirage IIIU's to be produced by Boeing who had already been in discussions with Dassault regarding export versions of the Mirage IIIC.

 

Designated as the A-11C the aircraft were modified with 60 pounds of additional armour plate on their undersides and cockpit instruments and flight controls were also modified with the aircraft being camouflaged in the standard SE Asia scheme of tan and two-tone green with light grey undersides. Entering service with the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron who were deployed to South East Asia in November 1965 initially to Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam before moving to Bien Hoa AB in June 1966. The A-11C was cleared to carry most of the smaller weapons used in Vietnam but, without an afterburner, the take-off roll of a heavily-laden A-11C was long in the hot and humid climate and the aircraft's range was considered to be barely adequate. But although the load-carrying capability of the A-11C was not as great as other types the aircraft was quite fast and agile at low level and it proved to be the least vulnerable jet aircraft in the USAF in SE Asia until the A-7D arrived in force.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+dtmdragon 2,620]

Nice

[leodagan76 574]

Nice dress for the Mirage!

 

I understand "un mirage sans souris", but what do you mean by "sec" (reverse english translation would be "dry" : "A dry Mirage without intake half-cone shock diffusers"...)

[Spinners 15,981]

Nice dress for the Mirage!

 

I understand "un mirage sans souris", but what do you mean by "sec" (reverse english translation would be "dry" : "A dry Mirage without intake half-cone shock diffusers"...)

Dry thrust i.e. no afterburner fitted.

[leodagan76 574]

Ok, understood! I like these US mirage, very nice!

[fallenphoenix1986 603]

The lack of shock cones really makes it look like a Convair F-102 baby brother at first glance.

Can easily picture it in ADC grey with a couple of Falcons under the wings.

 

Craig 

Edited March 29, 2016 by fallenphoenix1986

[Stratos 3,179]

Cool work on this one Spinners, love it! And fallepnphoenix is right, would look cool with the red Falcons.