Dassault Mirage F1

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Dassault Mirage F1
Front view of an Ecuadorian Mirage F1JA
Type Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer Dassault Aviation
Maiden flight 1966-12-23
Primary users French Air Force
Iraqi Air Force
Number built >720
Developed from Dassault Mirage III

The Dassault Mirage F1 is a single-seat air-superiority fighter and attack aircraft built by Dassault Aviation of France. More than 720 F1s have been produced.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] History

French Air Force Mirage F1
French Air Force Mirage F1

Dassault designed the Mirage F1 as the successor to its Mirage III and Mirage 5 fighters. Unlike its predecessors, it has a swept wing mounted high on the fuselage, as well as a conventional tail surface.

The first prototype, which was developed by Dassault using its own funds, made its maiden flight on 23 December 1966.

The type was officially accepted by the French Air Force in May 1967, at which time three further prototypes were ordered. With the greater thrust of its afterburning SNECMA Atar 9K-50 turbojet, the F1 easily outclassed the Mirage III.

Although it has a smaller wingspan than the Mirage III, the F1 nevertheless proved to be clearly superior to its predecessor. It can carry up to 40% more fuel, has a shorter take-off run, a superior range in lo-lo missions, and better maneuverability.

In order to comply to the French Air Force's requirement for an all-weather interceptor, the first production Mirage F1C was equipped with a Thomson-CSF Cyrano IV monopulse radar. The later Cyrano IV-1 version added a limited look-down capability.

The Mirage F1 entered French Air Force service in May 1973 when the first production version was delivered. Initially, the aircraft was only armed with two 30 mm internal cannons, but in 1976 the R530 medium-range air-to-air missile was released for use. A year later, the R550 Magic followed. About the same time, the American AIM-9 Sidewinder became part of the Mirage F1's armament, after the Hellenic Air Force requested integration of the Sidewinder on its own Mirage F1CG fighters.

The 79 aircraft of the next production run were delivered during the period March 1977 to December 1983. These were of the Mirage F1C-200 version with a fixed refuelling probe, which required an extension of the fuselage by 7 cm.

The Mirage F1 served as the main interceptor of the French Air Force until the Dassault Mirage 2000 entered service.

[edit] Other versions

[edit] Mirage F1B

The French Air Force also ordered 20 Mirage F1B, a two-seat operational conversion trainer; these were delivered between October 1980 and March 1983. The extra seat and controls added only 30 cm to the length of the fuselage, but at the cost of less internal fuel capacity and the loss of the internal cannon.

The empty weight increased by 200 kg, partly due to the addition of two Martin-Baker Mk 10 zero-zero ejection seats, in place of the Mk 4 used in the F1C, which had a forward speed limitation.

In all other aspects the F1B is a combat-capable aircraft and it can compensate for the lack of internal space by carrying external cannon pods and fuel tanks.

[edit] Mirage F1CR

When it became clear that the Mirage F1 was becoming a successful production aircraft, Dassault began investigating the possibility of a dedicated reconnaissance version for its most important client, the French Air Force. However, the escalating cost of fighter aircraft meant that add-on pods for this purpose were a more economical alternative.

Many French Air Force aircraft, as well as those of some export clients (such as Iraq's Mirage F1EQ), did indeed have a variety of reconnaissance pods available, which were attached to the underside of the main fuselage.

However, the development of a tactical reconnaissance aircraft for the French Air Force continued, and the first Mirage F1CR-200 flew on 20 November 1981.

The Mirage F1CR carries a variety of reconnaissance equipment, both internally and externally:

  • A SAT SCM2400 Super Cyclone infrared linescan unit is installed in the space previously occupied by the cannon.
  • A space under the nose can be used for a Thomson-TRT 40 panoramic camera or a Thomson-TRT 33 vertical camera.
  • The Cyrano IVM-R radar has extra ground- and contour-mapping modules.
  • Additional optical and electronic sensors can be carried on the hardpoints under the fuselage and wings.

A total of 64 examples of the Mirage F1CR were ordered by the French Air Force, the first of which flew on 10 November 1982. The first unit using the aircraft became operational in July 1983.

[edit] Mirage F1CT

Mirage F1CT "30-QS" from 2/30
Mirage F1CT "30-QS" from 2/30

The Mirage F1CT is the tactical ground attack version of the Mirage F1C-200. The first two prototypes were conversions. The first flew on 3 May 1991. Another 55 examples followed up to 1995, all being conversions carried out by the workshops of the French Air Force.

The Mirage F1CT program brought the avionics of the F1C up to the standard of the F1CR:

  • The Cyrano IV radar was replaced by the Cyrano IVM-R.
  • The navigation/attack system was upgraded and included a laser rangefinder.
  • Mk 10 ejection seats were added.
  • Improved radar detection and warning devices, chaff/flare dispensers, and secure radios were also added.
  • Facilities for a variety of new weapons were added.

[edit] Mirage F1AZ and Mirage F1CZ

The South African Air Force (SAAF) flew both the Mirage F1AZ ground-attack version as well as the radar-equipped Mirage F1CZ fighter.

The first two examples of the first order (48 aircraft, comprising 32 F1AZ and 16 F1CZ) were delivered on 5 April 1975. Both of these F1CZs were transported under a blanket of secrecy by a SAAF C-130 Hercules. In July of the same year, the remainder of the F1CZs were delivered. In 1975 the F1CZs also appeared at a South African airshow, but the public wasn't informed that the aircraft were already operational in the SAAF.

The F1AZ was developed in conjunction with Dassault and the SAAF as a dedicated ground attack variant. The AZ variant has a laser-based rangefinder, permitting extremely accurate fuzing and aiming of unguided munitions, which consist of bombs and rockets. Optical design was by ARMSCOR in South Africa, by the Optics (later ELOPTRO) division of that company. Despite their retirement in 1997, the accuracy of the F1AZ's armament delivery is still considered classified information by the SAAF, but observer analysis by informed news services (e.g., Jane's Defence Weekly) and pilot reports (e.g., Commandant Dick Lord, 'Vlamgat', 1999) conclude that the AZ variant has accuracies within the order disclosed by the USAF for their F-15E Strike Eagle in unguided ballistic mode. (Source: Jane's 'F15', Electronic Arts, 1996; Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 2000)

The F1AZs were delivered between November 1975 and October 1976. They were assigned to 1 Squadron, stationed at AFB Waterkloof. This acquisition was also kept secret from the rest of the world — 1 Squadron was not allowed to display its new aircraft until February 1980.

Both variants saw action during operations in Angola, during which two Angolan MiG-21s were shot down by F1CZs. At least one F1CZ was shot down by an Angolan surface-to-air missile; it was repaired using parts from a crashed aircraft.

The SAAF retired the F1CZs in 1992, followed by the F1AZs in 1997.

As an experiment, Aerosud, a South African aero-engineering concern, equipped a Mirage F1 with a Klimov RD-33 engine, the same engine used in the MiG-29. This development was dubbed the "SuperMirage" F1, and held the distinction of being the first Western aircraft to perform a display at the MAKS airshow in Moscow.

In 2004 up to 21 F1AZs were reported in storage at AFB Hoedspruit, awaiting a possible buyer. In April 2006, it was reported that Gabon had purchased the surviving Mirage F1AZs and spares for about ZAR 40 million. On 17 August 2006, French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that two upgraded ex-South African F1AZs had taken part in a fly-past over Libreville earlier that day in celebration of Gabon's independence day. The refurbishment and upgrade of the aircraft was carried out by Aerosud. Aerosud Group managing director Dr. Paul Potgieter confirmed his company's involvement, but declined to give numbers or cite figures. It was also reported at that time that Gabon had only bought 3 Mirage F1 from South Africa, and it was unclear whether the third aircraft was another F1AZ or a two-seat F1CZ.

[edit] Combat Service

Due to the success of the Mirage F1 in the export market, the airplane has seen combat with a number of air forces in various places around the world.

[edit] Ecuador

Ecuadorian Air Force Mirage F1JA
Ecuadorian Air Force Mirage F1JA

The Ecuadorian Air Force's (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, abbreviated FAE) squadron of Mirage F1JAs (Escuadrón de Caza 2112) first entered combat in January-February 1981 during the brief Paquisha War between Ecuador and Peru, less than two years after the aircraft had been delivered to the FAE. At that time, the Ecuadorians decided against directly challenging the Peruvian Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea del Perú, abbreviated FAP), whose Mirage 5Ps and Sukhoi Su-22Ms were providing air cover to the Peruvian heliborne operations in the combat zone. Instead, the Mirages were kept at a distance, performing combat air patrols (CAPs) on the fringes of the combat area, in case the border clashes gave way to open hostilities.

In 1995, during the Cenepa War, the Ecuadorian Mirages went back into action against Peru. This time, while the bulk of the squadron was kept back at Taura AFB, a small detachment of Mirage F1s and Kfir C.2s was deployed to a forward air base to dissuade Peruvian attack aircraft from entering the combat zone. On 10 February 1995, two Mirage F1JAs, piloted by Maj. R. Banderas and Capt. C. Uzcátegui and armed with Matra R550 Magic AAMs, were directed over five targets crossing the border from Peru toward the Cenepa valley. After making visual contact, the Mirages fired their missiles, shooting down two Peruvian Su-22Ms, while a Kfir destroyed a further A-37B Dragonfly.[1][2][3][4]

[edit] Iraq

During the Iran-Iraq war, Iraq's Mirage F1EQs were used intensively for interception, ground attack and anti-shipping missions[5].

On 17 May 1987, an Iraqi Air Force pilot flying an F1EQ fired two Exocet anti-ship missiles into the U.S. guided missile frigate USS Stark (FFG-31) in the Persian Gulf.[1]

In the opening minutes of the Gulf War on January 17, 1991, an unarmed USAF EF-111, crewed by Captain James A. Denton and Captain Brent D. Brandon scored a kill against an Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1EQ, which they managed to maneuver into the ground, making it the first and only F-111 to achieve an aerial victory over another aircraft.

Coalition forces shot down several Iraq Mirages during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Two F1EQs preparing to carry out an Exocet attack against US naval forces were shot down by a Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force F-15C.

[edit] Operators

F1 operators
F1 operators

[edit] Current Operators

Qatari Air Force Mirage F1EDA
Qatari Air Force Mirage F1EDA

F1s have served in the air forces of 11 countries:

[edit] Former Operators

[edit] Popular culture

The Mirage F1 was featured in the 2004 anime series "Area 88" and in the movie "The Concorde: Airport '79". In "Area 88", the F1 was the plane chosen by female pilot Kitori Palvanef and it was armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-7 Sparrow missiles (plus the 30 mm guns). In the "Airport 79" movie, two F1s were scrambled to protect the Concorde, and one shot down the intruder with the 30 mm guns to avoid hitting the Concorde with IR missiles (Magic R530).

The F1 is also mentioned in the lyrics of a song from the album Amused To Death by Roger Waters (formerly of Pink Floyd). In the song, Late Home Tonight Part 2, the lyrics go: And the F-1 glides in nose-up, through the cloudbase and the, ground crew cheers as he puts down his landing gear

[edit] Specifications (Mirage F1)

Orthographically projected diagram of the Dassault Mirage F1

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 15.33 m (50 ft 3 in)
  • Wingspan: 8.44 m (27 ft 8 in)
  • Height: 4.49 m (14 ft 8 in)
  • Wing area: 25 m² (270 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 7,400 kg (16,000 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 11,130 kg (24,540 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,700 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1× SNECMA Atar 9K-50 afterburning turbojet

Performance

Armament

  • Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 internal fixed forward firing cannons
  • Other:
    • 6,300 kg (14,000 lb) on 5 external hardpoints
    • 2× wingtip missile rails

    [edit] References

    1. ^ El Ecuador 1972-1999. La Guerra del Cenepa (Spanish). Official Web Site of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces (www.fuerzasarmadasecuador.org). Retrieved on 2006-06-20.
    2. ^ Cooper, Tom. Peru vs. Ecuador. Alto-Cenepa War, 1995. Air Combat Information Group (www.acig.org). Retrieved on 2006-06-20.
    3. ^ ACIG Team. Central & South American Air-to-Air Victories. Air Combat Information Group (www.acig.org). Retrieved on 2006-06-20.
    4. ^ Klaus, Erich. Ecuador Air Force. Aeroflight (www.aeroflight.co.uk). Retrieved on 2006-06-20.
    5. ^ Cooper,Tom, Bishop, Faraz. Persian Gulf War, 1980-1988. Air Combat Information Group (www.acig.org). Retrieved on 2007-03-15.

    [edit] External links

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