Dassault Mirage G

Dassault Mirage G
The Dassault Mirage G8-01 and G-8-02 prototypes in flight. The G8-01's wings are swept.
Role	Swing-wing multirole fighter
Manufacturer	Dassault Aviation
First flight	18 November 1967
Status	Cancelled in the 1970s
Primary user	French Air Force
Number built	3
Developed from	Dassault Mirage F2

The Dassault Mirage G was a French two-seat twin-engined variable-geometry prototype fighter, built by Dassault Aviation in the late 1960s. The aircraft was further developed into the twin-engine Mirage G4 and G8 variants as a multi-role jet fighter capable of both interception and nuclear strike missions. Although Dassault built and flew prototypes, the entire programme was terminated in the 1970s without the aircraft entering production.^[1]

Development

In 1964 the French defence ministry requested a development programme on variable-sweep wing aircraft for dual land and aircraft carrier use. France had participated with the Anglo-French Variable Geometry aircraft (AFVG) before abandoning their interest; later Dassault received an order for a prototype, powered by a single Pratt & Whitney/SNECMA TF-306 turbofan in October 1965.^[2]

The first variable-sweep aircraft from Dassault emerged as the single-engined, two-seat Mirage G fighter in 1967, essentially a swept wing version of the Mirage F2. The wings were swept at 22 degrees when fully forward and 70 degrees when fully aft and featured full-span double-slotted trailing edge flaps and two-position leading edge flaps.^[3]

Flight trials were relatively successful but no production order ensued, the Mirage G programme being cancelled in 1968.^[2] Flying with the Mirage G continued however until 13 January 1971 when the sole prototype was lost in an accident.

Variants

Mirage G4

The basic Mirage G was developed into a twin-engine, two-seat nuclear strike fighter, the Mirage G4 after a separate contract was issued in 1968 for two aircraft to be built. These aircraft were intended to be powered by Snecma M53 turbojets in production.^[2] While the aircraft were under construction the requirements changed and the French military requested that the design be converted into a dedicated interceptor.^[2]

Mirage G8

Mirage G4-01 was redesignated G8-01 and remained a two-seat aircraft (first flight 8 May 1971) with the second aircraft, G4-02 becoming a single-seat version, G8-02 (first flight 13 July 1972).^[2] The G8 variants were equipped with Thomson-CSF radar and a low-altitude navigational-attack system based on that used in the SEPECAT Jaguar and Dassault Milan.^[1][2] As no funding was included for the Mirage G8 in the 1971-1976 French defence budget the aircraft did not enter production.^[1]

Aircraft on display

Dassault Mirage G8-01 is on public display at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace near Paris.^[4]

Specifications (Mirage G8-02)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 18.80 m (61 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan:
  
  • Extended: 15.40 m (50 ft 6 in)
  • Swept: 8.70 m (28 ft 7 in)
• Height: 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in)
• Empty weight: 14,740 kg (32,500 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × SNECMA Atar 9K50 turbojets, 70.1 kN (15,800 lbf) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 2.2 Mach
• Range: 3,850 km (2,080 nm, 2,390 mi)
• Service ceiling: 18,500 m (60,700 ft)

See also

Aviation portal

Related development

• Dassault Mirage F2
  

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
• Panavia Tornado
• F-14 Tomcat
  

Related lists

• List of fighter aircraft
• List of military aircraft of France
  

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Green 1972, p. 84.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Dassault Aviation - Mirage G history www.dassault-aviation.com Retrieved: 10 April 2010
3. ^ Green 1968, p. 78.
4. ^ Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace - Collections (French language) www.mae.org Retrieved: 13 April 2010

Bibliography

• Green, William. The Observer's Book of Aircraft. London. Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., 1968.
• Green, William. The Observer's Book of Aircraft. London. Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., 1972. ISBN 0-7232-1507-3

External links

• Flight International - October 1971 - Mirage G