uk 75 said:
Another of my favourite 60s projects was the Mirage IIIV vstol fighter bomber.
Apart from the info that at one time (1965 or so) France hoped to use this plane to replace its F100 Super Sabres and
the fact that the Jaguar E and the Mirage F1 were adopted instead, I cannot find any info on the planned in service
appearance of the Mirage IIIV or what it was planned to carry. My best guess is that it was planned to carry a
nuclear store or two air to air missiles (R530 or Sidewinders).
The excellent French language magazine articles have not helped either
The answers are in MIRAGE III, volume 3, Chénel-Moreau-Liébert, DTU, 2008, pages 397-398.
I give only the main :
They would have been outwardly very similar to the Mirage IIIV 02, but with no little air intake at the basis of the vertical fin. The Mirage IIIV 03 was 50% built before to be scrapped.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+For Mirage IIIV 03 and 04 prototypes first studies (1964) :
Radar : GAMD Antilope
Central point :
-1xNuclear weapon (580 kg, 3.80m x 0.50m) or 1x1000l tank
-2xexternal 30mm guns
-2x400kg bombs
-1xMatra 530 or AS 30 missile
2xinternal wing points :
-2x400kg bombs
-2xMatra 530 or AS 30 missiles
-2x1300l tanks
2xexternal wing points :
-2xSidewinder missiles
----------------------------------------------------------------
+For Mirage IIIV 03 and 04 prototypes second studies (1965, not completely described), no more radar Antilope, but are especially added :
Missile AS 37 and nuclear weapon AN M3 (650kg, 3.80x0.60m)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+For the Mirage V1 machine series project for France and NATO (1960-61) :
nearly like the Mirage IIIV 03 and 04, but with
-2 x internal 30mm guns
-1 x US nuclear weapon (20') B type
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+For the Mirage V1 machine series project for France alone (1964-65) :
at the end like the Mirage IIIV 03 and 04 from 1965
I know that. There was a good article about the Mirage IIIV in autumn 1997 in Le Fana de l'aviation. Only the 01 and 02 were build. The 01 was powered by a TF-106 of 7500 kgp, it's top speed was mach 1.3.
