The Dassault Mirage III was a supersonic jet interceptor in service with the French Air Force during the Cold War. It was the first French delta-wing aircraft on active duty. It was one of the most efficient combat planes of this historical period. Several countries around the world acquired the Mirage III to beef up their air forces; Australia, Turkey, Peru, Switzerland, Pakistan, and Israel. This famous aircraft took part in several armed conflicts in the second half of the 20th century, such as the Six Day War, Yom Kippur War, the Falklands War, and South Africa Border War. In the hands of a well-trained pilot, it proved to be a lethal flying machine.
The Dassault Mirage III-001 prototype performed its maiden flight on November 17, 1956. It took five years for the aircraft to pass all the flight tests as it was introduced into service with the French Air Force on June 20, 1961. The first version was the Mirage IIIA, which was a pre-production model; the IIIC was the first major production variant, which was an interceptor; the IIIE was the fighter version, while the IIIB and the IIID were two-seat trainer aircraft. Thus, this French warplane was the progenitor of a family of interceptors and fighters, which have in common a delta wing configuration and reliable, maneuverable flight performance. An estimated total of 1,500 aircraft were made as it became the backbone of the French Air Force in the 1960s and 1970s. It would be replaced by the Mirage 2000 in French service.
Technical Characteristics
The Dassault Mirage III was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane, whose airframe and fuselage were all-metal. It was a delta, low-winged aircraft. It had no conventional tailplane as it was fitted only with a a large vertical fin. The traditional tailplane elevator function of climbing up was performed by the elevons and ailerons on the wing trailing edge; these movable control surfaces also managed pitch and roll. The cockpit was equipped with a Martin-Baker ejection seat and a large canopy. The aircraft was powered by one SNECMA Atar 09C turbojet engine, with afterburner. The power plant generated 13,700 pounds of thrust. Like on most jet plane, the engine air intakes were located laterally, on the sides of fuselage. Its retractable landing gear was of the tricycle type.
Specifications (Mirage IIIE)
Type: interceptor/fighter
Length: 15 m (49 feet, 4 inches)
Wing Span: 8.22 m (27 feet)
Wing Area: 35 m2 (377 square feet)
Height: 4.50 m (14 feet, 9 inches)
Power Plant: one 13,700-lb, SNECMA 09C-3 turbojet engine, with afterburner.
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.1 (2,350 km/h or 1,460 mph)
Range: 2,400 km (1,491 miles)
Service Ceiling: 14,440 m (47,375 feet)
Crew: one
Armament: one 30-mm DEFA 552 cannon; MATRA R.511 or Hughes AIM-26 air-to-air missiles.
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| A Mirage IIIE version of the Pakistani Air Force in the 1980s. |
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| The prototype III-001 in late 1956. |
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| The IIIB version: a two-seat trainer. |