The above well noted, let's suppose that, by some Miracle, Dassault tells Giscard "a pity that ACF prototype is almost finished. We flew two G8s in parallels, 1971-74 and learned a crapton about VG wings. Last G8-02 flights in November 1974 had the VG fixed to 55 degrees, simulating the ACF. So why not fly the ACF along the 4000 ? we could learn a lot about swept vs delta wings, on extremely similar airframe bodies. Make no mistake: ACF is dead, it is 4000 to go in production... someday. Maybe we could put analog FBW on the ACF, as we will do on the 4000."
(nota bene: there were proposals to put FBW on the F1-M53 facing the F-16, and later in 1982 the III-NG pulled out a 2000 by stealing its flight control system. Soooo... it can be done).
Giscard finally agrees and scrounge some funds to finish the ACF by 1976 and have it fly as a chase plane for the 4000, as the vanilla Mirages won't be able to follow it at Mach 2.5, after all.
End result: June 1979, Le Bourget airshow: the ACF, rebranded "Mirage F8" and the 4000 (just flown in March) are standing side by side on Dassault stand.
They will make a stunning display.
And then Dassault has a lightbulb moment. "While the 4000 can help the 2000 and ACX later - that ACF could be useful to the Iraqi F1EQ flight development program..."
