Dassault Mirage G

Mirage G
The Dassault Mirage G8-01 and G-8-02 prototypes in flight. The G8-01's wings are swept.
Role	Swing-wing multirole fighter
Manufacturer	Dassault Aviation
First flight	18 November 1967
Status	Cancelled in the 1970s
Primary user	French Air Force
Number built	3
Developed from	Dassault Mirage F2

The Dassault Mirage G was a French two-seat twinjet variable-geometry prototype fighter, built by Dassault Aviation in the late 1960s. The type was further developed into the twin-engine Mirage G4 and G8 variants as a multi-role jet fighter capable of both interception and nuclear strike missions. Although Dassault built and flew prototypes, the entire programme was terminated in the 1970s without the aircraft entering production.^[1]

Development[]

In 1964 the French defence ministry requested a development programme on variable-sweep wing aircraft for dual land and aircraft carrier use. France had participated with the Anglo-French Variable Geometry aircraft (AFVG) before abandoning their interest; later Dassault received an order for a prototype, powered by a single Pratt & Whitney/SNECMA TF-306 turbofan in October 1965.^[2]

The first variable-sweep aircraft from Dassault emerged as the single-engined, two-seat Mirage G fighter in 1967, essentially a swing wing version of the Mirage F2. The wings were swept at 22 degrees when fully forward and 70 degrees when fully aft and featured full-span double-slotted trailing edge flaps and two-position leading edge flaps.^[3]

Flight trials were relatively successful but no production order ensued, the Mirage G programme being cancelled in 1968.^[2] Flying with the Mirage G continued however until 13 January 1971 when the sole prototype was lost in an accident.

Variants[]

Mirage G[]

Single-engined initial version, first flight 18 November 1967. Crashed 13 January 1971.

Mirage G4[]

G8-01 is on public display at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace

The basic Mirage G was developed into a twin-engine, two-seat nuclear strike fighter, the Mirage G4 after a separate contract was issued in 1968 for two aircraft to be built. These aircraft were intended to be powered by Snecma M53 turbofans in production.^[2] While the aircraft were under construction the requirements changed and the French military requested that the design be converted into a dedicated interceptor, the Mirage G8.^[2]

Mirage G8[]

Mirage G4-01 was redesignated G8-01 and remained a two-seat aircraft (first flight 8 May 1971) with the second aircraft, G4-02 becoming a single-seat version, G8-02 (first flight 13 July 1972).^[2] The G8 variants were equipped with Thomson-CSF radar and a low-altitude navigational-attack system based on that used in the SEPECAT Jaguar and Dassault Milan.^[1][2] As no funding was included for the Mirage G8 in the 1971-1976 French defence budget the aircraft did not enter production.^[1]

Cooperation on LTV V-507[]

In the late 1960s, the US manufacturer Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) was seeking technical data on variable-geometry wings, within the framework of a bid for the US Navy's VFX carrier fighter contract.^[4] As a result of the publicity gained by the Mirage G, LTV sought the assistance of Dassault, as well as General Dynamics, which had secured a contract with the USAF for a variable geometry fighter-bomber/attack aircraft, the F-111A. Two agreements were signed by Dassault and LTV in 1968: one for general cooperation and the other specifically in regard to variable-geometry wings. This resulted in two LTV designs, the Vought V-505 and V-507,^[5] as well as construction of a full-scale, non-flying mockup of the second design. There were two competing bids, both with variable geometry: the McDonnell F-4(FVS), which was a variant of the Phantom II, and the Grumman 303. The latter was successful and was developed into the F-14. However, during its development, Grumman approached LTV for details of the V-507, including some of the same technical solutions devised for the Mirage G.^{[citation needed]}

Some of the same data also contributed to the , which competed for the Pentagon's Light Weight Fighter program in the 1970s. However, this LTV design did not include variable geometry (and was more closely related to the LTV A-7 Corsair II). This particular proposal was also rejected and the F-16 and F/A-18 were eventually selected for production.

Aircraft on display[]

• Dassault Mirage G8-01 is on public display at the Musée de l’air et de l’espace near Paris.^[6]
• Dassault Mirage G8-02 is on public display at the , Montélimar.^[7]

Specifications (Mirage G8-02)[]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 18.8 m (61 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 15.4 m (50 ft 6 in)
• Swept wingspan: 8.7 m (28 ft 7 in) swept
• Height: 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in)
• Empty weight: 14,740 kg (32,496 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 23,800 kg (52,470 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × SNECMA Atar 9K50 afterburning turbojet engines, 49.03 kN (11,020 lbf) thrust each dry, 70.1 kN (15,800 lbf) with afterburner

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.2
• Range: 3,850 km (2,390 mi, 2,080 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 18,500 m (60,700 ft)

See also[]

Related development

• Dassault Mirage F2

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark
• Grumman F-14 Tomcat
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
• Panavia Tornado

Related lists

• List of fighter aircraft
• List of military aircraft of France

References[]

Notes[]

Bibliography[]

• Buttler, Tony. X-Planes of Europe II: Military Prototype Aircraft from the Golden Age 1946–1974. Manchester, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2015. ISBN 978-1-90210-948-0
• Buttler, Tony and Jean-Louis Delezenne. X-Planes of Europe: Secret Research Aircraft from the Golden Age 1946-1974. Manchester, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2012. ISBN 978-1-902-10921-3
• Carbonel, Jean-Christophe. French Secret Projects 1: Post War Fighters. Manchester, UK: Crecy Publishing, 2016 ISBN 978-1-91080-900-6
• Green, William. The Observer's Book of Aircraft. London. Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., 1968.
• Green, William. The Observer's Book of Aircraft. London. Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., 1972. ISBN 0-7232-1507-3

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dassault Mirage G.

• Flight International - October 1971 - Mirage G