Book on the Dassault Super Mirage 4000.

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Alexis Rocher (aka MIRAGE 4000 on SPF), current editor-in-chief of the French monthly Le fana de l'aviation, informed us a few days ago of the forthcoming release of his book on the Dassault Super Mirage 4000. He also informed us that the book will exist in an English version.


Today, thanks to the publisher of this book, Yves Robins (his name is the same on SPF), we know that the book (in French) will be available on June 26, at the price (excluding shipping costs) of 29€. We also know that the book will be in A5 format (which is my only regret at this stage).

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Now, on the editor's website, you can click on the cover of the book to see pages : 5 and 6 (summary), 9, 12, 13, 15, 37, 39, 46, 60, 81, 123 and two others without number.

www.skyshelf.be

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carrefour numérique de l'édition aéronautique - digital aerospace publishing hub - livres d'aviation anciens et neufs - new and used aviation books
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https://imgur.com/GBSm1pq
View: https://imgur.com/GBSm1pq

https://imgur.com/PEfvG5W
View: https://imgur.com/PEfvG5W
 
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Well,

I repeat what is said by Alexis Rocher in the foreword (it is me who adds the part in parentheses):
"It is the articles from 2004 (Fanas 416 to 418) and 2019 (Fanas 592 and 593) that are brought together here. They are supplemented by new research and in particular by the contribution of unpublished archives by the historian Claude Carlier ( ...) (including) letters from Marcel Dassault."
Click to expand...

Having the five articles of Fana, I already have the heart of the book. But the "new research", distributed throughout the book, in addition to the text or in inserts, brings a plus. For example, if we don't learn much more about the Iranian and Iraqi markets, we have certain complementary (and no less frustrating) elements about the Jordanian and, above all, Saudi markets. There are also quite a few unpublished photos and drawings.

On the other hand, there are certain passages of the articles (inserts, drawings, diagram) which are not in the book, in particular inserts on the Saudi market which give some details not present in the book. I also think that certain passages of the Fana 416, admittedly more focused on the Mirage G8A (and the genesis of the ACF program) than on the Mirage 4000, could have been kept. Otherwise, I regret the A5 format, which I find too small, especially for photos and drawings. But on SPF, thanks to our friend Alanqua, we are lucky to have some of these drawings in large format ;)

In the end, I do not regret my purchase. And I think that for people who do not read French, and have not already read the 5 articles of Fana, they will particularly appreciate the English version of this book.
 
if we don't learn much more about the Iranian and Iraqi markets, we have certain complementary (and no less frustrating) elements about the Jordanian and, above all, Saudi markets.
Click to expand...

(Personal note: needs the book, and I need to read again Le Fana. Irak and S.A, I knew, but Iran and Jordania ? WTH ? curiouser and curiouser... )
 
Archibald said:
if we don't learn much more about the Iranian and Iraqi markets, we have certain complementary (and no less frustrating) elements about the Jordanian and, above all, Saudi markets.
Click to expand...

(Personal note: needs the book, and I need to read again Le Fana. Irak and S.A, I knew, but Iran and Jordania ? WTH ? curiouser and curiouser... )
Click to expand...
Iran is mentioned only once in the articles (without further information), but not in the book.
Jordan is barely mentioned in the articles, a little bit more in the book, but the "a little bit more" is quite surprising (I wouldn't have been against a development).
In the appendices at the end of the book there are, among other things, developments relating to what could have been an industrial association of combat aircraft between France and Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Egypt.
 
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Any word on when this might be available in English?

On a side note, Mirage 4000, F-16xl, and F-20 all getting books within a couple months of each other is something else. All we need to complete the lost planes of the 80s quartet is a new book on the Lavi.
 
It is indeed. There might be a Hebrew language Lavi book more to your liking one day - I knew a person working on one.
 
Is there any news about the planned English edition of Alexis' book?
 
So, this is a review of two parts.

First, to the contents. It's a labour of love for Alexis Rocher, that much is clear. Here's the contents page.

Chapter 1 - Designing the Super Mirage
  • From the ACF to the Super Mirage 4000 . 7
  • Close-up - Bruno Revellin Falcoz,
  • from the drawing board to the vice-chairmanship . 10
  • ACF, the missing link . 13
  • The F-15 Eagle for France ? 17
  • The M53 engine, towards Mach 2.5 19
  • Dassault in 1979 . 24
  • The Super Mirage 4000 formula . 26
  • The technical side 28
  • Electrical flight controls . 28
  • In a pavilion 30
  • The Mirage 4000 must be built 31
  • Remove the pilot from the fuselage . 33
  • More range 34
  • The ducks are coming 35
  • Change of dimension 36
  • The Assembly 39
  • Problems with the coachman . 40
  • The Mirage 4000 replacing the Mirage IV ? . 43
Chapter 2 - Flight tests, 1979 to 1983
  • Preparing the aircraft . 49
  • The maiden flight 51
  • Close-up - Jean-Marie Saget, a passion for flying . 52
  • 9 march 1979, the thrill of the first flight . 57
  • Close-up - Jacques Desmazures, Director of flight tests . 59
  • The first tests . 60
  • Louis Robert : « Never seen such a thing ! » 63
  • First Bourget . 64
  • Presentation to Irak . 66
  • Vertical «8» at Farnborough 67
  • With missiles . 69
  • A pre-series of Mirage 4000 for France ? 70
  • The year 1982 . 73
  • Last Bourget ? 75
Chapter 3 - Flight tests, 1985 to 1988
  • The return of the Mirage 4000 . 81
  • The Tornado 82
  • Change of team . 85
  • Close-up - Louis Éon, test pilot . 86
  • Mirage 4000 and Rafale . 89
  • Sales prospecting resumes 94
  • The demonstration in Nice . 96
  • Mirage 4000 / AS.50, a visionary couple 99
  • No chance with Saudi Arabia ! 100
  • A bomb at Le Bourget ! 105
  • The aircraft of every fighter pilot’s dreams 108
  • Last flight . 106
Chapter 4 - The renovation project .
  • Small and large Mirage 4000 113
  • The Mirage 4000 in the world of scale models . 121
Appendices
  • Specifications of the Super Mirage 4000 . 126
  • When the CIA takes an interest in the Mirage 4000 127
  • The aeronautical cooperation project between the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation (AOI) and France 130
  • Saudi Arabia’s participation in the development and industrialisation of the Super Mirage 4000 133
  • Chronology of the Super Mirage 4000 programme 137
  • Bibliography 143
  • Index . 144

It is based on his 25 years of research into the Mirage 4000 from 1999. Some of that was previously published in Le Fana de L'aviation articles in 2004 and 2019. This book is based on the earlier articles, but expanded and updated a lot and translated to English.

There's a lot of first hand accounts from key people from the program. Its very interesting to read. Its going to be pretty much indispensible if you like the Mirage 4000.

So having said all that, it's not perfect. The second part to the review.

The PDF version I purchased appears to be a faithful reproduction of the printed book. The layout isn't terrible, but the page size is quite small and it looks feels more like a self-published book, which it kind of is. Not keen on the use of blue text for captions and callout sections.

I feel its fine for what I paid for it, but it leaves me wanting a little more. The La Fana articles are much nicer layout than this book, which is a shame. I'd love to see the same contents in a larger format page with more professional layout.

If only Morton's could have published it under their bookazine or book lines, @newsdeskdan
 
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I received the book a little while ago. I'll echo that the book is too small for the photos, they would look much nicer in a bigger format.

My only "I wish it was there" is for a diagram of the underneath of the aircraft showing exactly where the pylons are. It's the one thing I'm still not clear on.

That said, it is a very good collection of interviews anecdotes. I have a much better picture of the 4000, both of it's strengths and why it didn't gain sales despite potential.
 

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