The Dassault Mirage F1 was a supersonic fighter aircraft used by the French Air Force during the Cold War. It was a very maneuverable and reliable aircraft, which was fitted with a Cyrano IV air-to-air radar to detect intruders and to aid in engaging enemy warplanes. To shoot down enemy aircraft, the F1 was armed with Matra R.550 Magic air-to-air missiles. Although it had been designed as a fighter, it was also used to carry out ground-attack missions. Serving France for more than three decades, it was a major improvement over the Mirage III as it introduced more fuel economy, better avionics, and increased agility. It replaced the Vautour IIN as an all-weather interceptor.
The prototype of the Mirage F1 performed its maiden flight on December 23, 1966. It was flown by test pilot René Bigand at Melun-Villaroche. It showed good results, with great flight characteristics as it demonstrated better performance than the Mirage III, including shorter take-off distances (reduced by 30%) and improved combat air patrol endurance. This prototype was powered by one SNECMA Atar 09K, that delivered 15,400 pounds of thrust. It reached the maximum speed of Mach 2.12. During the flight tests, it had only one accident, in May 1967, with the pilot losing his life. Nevertheless, the tests and technical improvement continued. Finally, this French fighter aircraft was introduced into service with the French Air Force in March 1973 as the Mirage F1C version. A two-seat training variant (F1D) and a reconnaissance version (F1CR) would also be produced.
Technical Description
The Dassault Mirage F1 was a single-seat, single-engine, supersonic monoplane of all-metal monocoque construction. The aircraft was fitted with cantilever, swept wing mounted high on fuselage, with anhedral angle. The wing trailing edge had double-slotted flaps and maneuvering leading edge slats. It had swept tail surfaces, with low set stabilators, and a large vertical fin. This configuration gave the French combat warplane much better low-speed maneuverability and agility than the previous delta-wing layout. The aircraft engine air intakes were located on the sides of fuselage and they were semi-circular in shape.
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| Above, the Mirage F1. It had swept high wing, with anhedral angle. |
Specifications
Type: fighter/interceptor
Length: 14.94 m (49 feet)
Wing Span: 8.23 m (27 feet)
Wing Area: 24.99 m2 (269 square feet)
Height: 4.57 m (15 feet)
Power Plant: one 15,840-lb, SNECMA Atar 9K-5 afterburning turbojet engine.
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.2 (2,334 km/h or 1,450 mph)
Range: 2,594 km, with drop tanks
Service Ceiling: 20,000 m (65,600 feet)
Crew: one
Avionics: one Cyrano IV radar
Armament: two 30-mm DEFA-553 cannons; two Matra R.550 Magic air-to-air missiles; two AS-30 air-to-ground missiles, or eight 250-kg bombs.
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| The F1 armed with air-to-air missiles and fitted with drop fuel tanks. |
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| The F1 C version flying over French territory in 1974. |
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| The Mirage F1 flies over the French Alps in the 1980s. |
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| A Mirage F1 armed with one SCALP-EG air-to-ground cruise missile. |
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| For the fighter and interceptor role, the main armament of the Mirage F1 was one Matra 530 and two R.550 air-to-air missiles. |
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| The prototype of the Mirage F1 in 1969, flying alongside a Mirage III. |