Cross posting @dan_inbox in the Mirage IVC thread. I realize we have no thread for this obscure but truly interesting tidbit of history.
Brief summary (or trying !)
Mirage IVA as we know it (1960-2005) gradually froze between 1957 and 1958. To make a long story short, after the Mirage III-01 / IIIA / IIIC froze circa 1957, it started as "anything bigger".
- A french F-105 with a "Super Atar" (but SNECMA coudn't pull this out) so it started evolving
- the next year, a french Phantom and Rafale ancestor, the Mirage IVC
- But in the year 1958 France and its military where in turmoil: Algeria, plus NATO, plus the coming Force de frappe were three huge resources drain.
- "Something had to give" so in true Sandys / Diefenbaker style, massive cuts were made
- Mirage IVC would not happen, but after being a F-105 and a Phantom, the Mirage IV would turn into a Vigilante 30 tons Mach 2 bomber.
- That was the Mirage IVA. No SAC nor V-bombers for France: bomber was a luxury, future belonged to solid fuel IRBM and SLBM, but not before 1970 at the earliest.
- Mirage IVA would provide Force de Frappe early IOC by 1964.
Except its range was short: one way trip to Moscow in a good day.
Solution 1: 1959: Mirage IVB, the next step in Mirage IV evolution: a B-58 60 tons beast. Too expensive, and with foreign engines ? Forget it.
Solution 2: do with Mirage IVA and find a way to extend its range.
From Mirage IV-01 to Mirage IVA the aerodynamics and MTOW were refined to the deep end of Atar 9K capabilities. The Atar 9K by itself was a new step in the family, 6800 kg of thrust that led to the Mirage 50, F1, S.E 9K50 final evolution in the late 1960's.
- Palliatives: one-way trip to Moscow across Germany and Bielorussia. Suicidal.
- Second palliative: across the Mediterrnean sea and Turkey: from the south.
But whatever the way, aerial refueling would help getting more flexible attack paths toward Moscow.
And the rest is history: in 1962 Boeing C-135FR were procured, 12 of them. One went missing in June 1972 in Moruroa: coral reef dust went into the engines and wrecked them, leading to deadly crash and the loss of a crew at takeoff. The eleven survivors got CFM56 in the 80's and were backed by three KC-135s out of USAF stocks. They are presently retiring, after nearly 60 years of service.
Yet,in 1960-62 were two alternatives considered
- Caravelle tanker
- Vautour tankers
There are many pictures of Vautours refueling themselves and also a Mirage IVA, circa 1960. In fact one of them got a Douglas pod, others got dry booms, and they were used as trainers for the Mirage IVA (as were Mirage IIIB, also with dry booms).
Brief summary (or trying !)
Mirage IVA as we know it (1960-2005) gradually froze between 1957 and 1958. To make a long story short, after the Mirage III-01 / IIIA / IIIC froze circa 1957, it started as "anything bigger".
- A french F-105 with a "Super Atar" (but SNECMA coudn't pull this out) so it started evolving
- the next year, a french Phantom and Rafale ancestor, the Mirage IVC
- But in the year 1958 France and its military where in turmoil: Algeria, plus NATO, plus the coming Force de frappe were three huge resources drain.
- "Something had to give" so in true Sandys / Diefenbaker style, massive cuts were made
- Mirage IVC would not happen, but after being a F-105 and a Phantom, the Mirage IV would turn into a Vigilante 30 tons Mach 2 bomber.
- That was the Mirage IVA. No SAC nor V-bombers for France: bomber was a luxury, future belonged to solid fuel IRBM and SLBM, but not before 1970 at the earliest.
- Mirage IVA would provide Force de Frappe early IOC by 1964.
Except its range was short: one way trip to Moscow in a good day.
Solution 1: 1959: Mirage IVB, the next step in Mirage IV evolution: a B-58 60 tons beast. Too expensive, and with foreign engines ? Forget it.
Solution 2: do with Mirage IVA and find a way to extend its range.
From Mirage IV-01 to Mirage IVA the aerodynamics and MTOW were refined to the deep end of Atar 9K capabilities. The Atar 9K by itself was a new step in the family, 6800 kg of thrust that led to the Mirage 50, F1, S.E 9K50 final evolution in the late 1960's.
- Palliatives: one-way trip to Moscow across Germany and Bielorussia. Suicidal.
- Second palliative: across the Mediterrnean sea and Turkey: from the south.
But whatever the way, aerial refueling would help getting more flexible attack paths toward Moscow.
And the rest is history: in 1962 Boeing C-135FR were procured, 12 of them. One went missing in June 1972 in Moruroa: coral reef dust went into the engines and wrecked them, leading to deadly crash and the loss of a crew at takeoff. The eleven survivors got CFM56 in the 80's and were backed by three KC-135s out of USAF stocks. They are presently retiring, after nearly 60 years of service.
Yet,in 1960-62 were two alternatives considered
- Caravelle tanker
- Vautour tankers
There are many pictures of Vautours refueling themselves and also a Mirage IVA, circa 1960. In fact one of them got a Douglas pod, others got dry booms, and they were used as trainers for the Mirage IVA (as were Mirage IIIB, also with dry booms).
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