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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0697.PDF
707FLIGHT. 25 Mav 1961 Dossou/t Mirage IIIO, with Rolls-Royce Avon 67 and weapons PROJECTS REVIEWED Mirage IIIC having flown in October last,and deliveries will reach nine per month in July. A great triumph for the French industrywas the decision in principle by the Swiss Government to order the Mirage III, with theAtar engine, for the Swiss air force. An initial batch is to be supplied by Dassault, butthe remainder will be made under licence. The engine, too, may be made partly or whollyby Sulzer Brothers. Second achievement was the order for Mirage Ills from the AustralianGovernment. A contract for 30 aircraft to be delivered by Dassault was signed in Parison March 30. It is persistently reported that the CSF Cyrano fire-control, standard forFrench Mirages, has also been chosen for the RAAF aircraft, but Ferranti Airpass 2 isstill in the running. An even bigger choice concerned the engine. A Mirage fitted with aRolls-Royce Avon RB.146 Mk 67 (picture above) demonstrated a great increase in climband range, but on May 17 it was announced in Canberra that the Atar—either the 9C or anew 9K. version—had been chosen. It has been reported that the South Africanair force, equipped like the RAAF with Sabres, might decide to buy Mirages as well.The total number of Australian Mirages, the majority made under licence in Australia,may well reach 200. Main features of the Mirage IIIC are thatit can operate if necessary from grass strips (it has low-pressure tyres) and fulfil eitherintercepter or ground-attack roles. Its dual- purpose Cyrano radar can direct gun-fire orair-to-air missiles and also provide naviga- tion and terrain-clearance displays for strikemissions. The thrust of the turbojet can be supplemented for interception missions by apack containing a 3,3OOIb-thrust SEPR 844 rocket motor in lieu of an additional fuel tank.Fixed armament is a pack of two 30mm DEFA guns with 250 rounds each, and bombs,including a 9901b nuclear weapon, an AS.30 or R.53O missile, or tanks can be carried on acentral beam beneath the fuselage. A pylon under each wing can accommodate Side-winder or Nord air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, bombs, rocket containers, or tanksof up to 380gal capacity. Maximum speed is M2.15 and ceiling 97.000ft. Endurance is30min for interception and more than 3hr for ferrying. Take-off and landing runs are eachstated to be 2,300ft. Gross weights range from 18.9001b to 27,7001b, according to mission,and wing loading varies from 50 to 73lb/sq n. Minimum speed is 162 m.p.h. Starting atM0.9 at sea level, the Mirage IIIC can reach Ml.8 at 49,000ft in 5 min 50sec without itsrocket motor. The Mirage HIE will have interchangeable radar or camera noses. Atwo-seat trainer version, designated Mirage IHB, is also flying. The Mirage IV has been ordered in accord-ance with the Loi Programme to form the manned delivery element of the French nucleardeterrent force. Slightly faster than the Mirage HI, the IV will be powered by twoaNF CMA Atar 9D engines with afterburners and accommodate a crew of two in tandem.int nuclear weapon will be carried partly ouned in the fuselage aft of a large flatraoome. Underwing tanks will supplement mut-pendent range, but flight refuelling, eitherIroni converted Vautours or from Mirage larders, will allow a striking range of 2,500m"<-. sufficient for an escape and landing to wde in neutral territory after attacking. Dassault Etendard IVM "Flight" photograph be Max Holste MH.260 Super Broussard For defence, the Mirage IV is reported tohave one of the most advanced radio counter- measures systems yet devised, but it is alsointended that numbers of Mirage Ills would be flown as decoys to confuse enemy defences.A Marconi Doppler and Sperry inertial plat- form have already been tested as the naviga-tion system for the Mirage. Structure and configuration are generally similar to thoseof the Mirage III; the span is 38ft lOin and the length 77ft. Gross weight is 66,0001b. The Communaute prototype is now flyingagain, and Sud and Dassault have announced the Communaute A.I, powered by 1,000 h.p.Bastan IVs, in place of the original 700 h.p. Bastans, and capable of carrying 21 to 24passengers at from 250 to 300 m.p.h. for 1,600 miles with full reserves and allowances.Most economical commercial stage-length would be 370 miles, and field length, at 16,8001b,3.080ft. The cabin will be pressurized, have a window for each of seven rows of seats, 6fthead-room in the aisle and baggage compart- ments totalling 355 cu ft. A military light transport equivalent is also reported. As anexecutive aircraft the Communaute is very attractive, particularly as it is much cheaperthan existing executive types with turbine power. Negotiations with an Americancompany for export sales have taken place. Max Holste Main production effort isdevoted to assembly of the MH.1521 Brous- sard, powered by the 450 h.p. P & W R-985Wasp Junior, some 400 of which have been ordered and 325 completed. Sipa make about60 per cent of the airframe. The majority of Broussards have been supplied to the Frenchservices, but export orders have been received from six foreign countries. The Broussardcan carry six people or a useful load of 2,1301b. Successors to the Broussard are the SuperBroussard series, powered by two 1,000 h.p. Turbomsca Bastan turboprops and intendedfor short-haul transport from semi-prepared fields. The MH.260 prototype of the passen-ger/freight version has been flying for some time. The MH.261 military freighter with rear
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