Re: Unbuilt & Prototype Mirages 1955-1980

[Nico]

Dear friends,
about version this trend, in recent years appeared several articles about never-built versions of the Dassault Mirage III, but I never found time to devote much attention to the matter. Today a friend sent me a series of drawings (apparently professionally-made, in the style of John Weal and Pilot Press). He is unable to trace the origins of the drawings and asks me if, in my opinion, these are real would-be Mirage III or are other examples of the ever-increasing fakes of the Web.
I remember only something about Mach 3+ Mirage but nothing with those unusual wing leading edge. Perhaps studies done outside France or for foreign customer (like Switzerland or South Africa)?
Hoping someone could enlight us, thank you in advance

Nico

 

[hesham]

Good Info my dear Nico.

 

[CiTrus90]

I have to say those drawings don't look really professional.

Looking at the top views of the wings there is a clear difference in the thickness of some the lines (leading edges lines are "darker" than the rest).

On the side views there is a classical Mirage III nose and above it something akin to a Mirage 4000 nose, enlarged in order to fit to the Mirage III fuselage, which apparently sports the same panel lines as the Mirage III.

It looks more like something done with MS Paint by an enthusiast whiffer, who was trying to see which modifications looked best overall.

The only references i've found on the existance of the IIIX designation, report all the same thing, word for word:

Mirage IIIX
Proposed version, announced in 1982, fitted with updated avionics and fly-by-wire controls, powered by an Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine. Original designation of the Mirage 3NG.

I've found them on Wikipedia and other blogs, though none of them point to the source of the claim, so i can't vouch for its credibility.

Hope this can help.

Regards.

 

[Deltafan]

I like these drawings (apart the front view of the plane with wing root fairings) but I think that Citrus is right :

-Nose and cockpit look like a Mirage 4000 (from side view)
-Canards look like a Mirage III EX (mounted on the Brasilian Mirage III E)
-Wing root fairings look like a Mirage 2000 (but the front drawing is not good)
-LERX look like a mix between Mirage III V and Mirage III NG
-The rest of the wing look like South African projects for wing with wingtip launchrails to mount on the (derivative of the Mirage III) Atlas Cheetah
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2684.0.html (end of page 2 and beginning of page 3)