Dassault Mirage IIIV

With the beginning of the year 1960, at the request of the Ministry for Defense French, the aeronautical manufacturers Dassault Aviation and South-Aviation carried out experiments of planes with vertical takeoff and landing (v.t.o.l) with two apparatuses:

the Balzac V intended to validate the formula retained with existing engines
the Mirage III V with the higher performances thanks to new more powerful engines

This program was stopped in 1966 for technical reasons and financial, leading to no construction in series.

Design

The French government launched in August 1960 an experimental program of plane with vertical takeoff and landing having to lead to a fighter. The Dassault manufacturer proposed a plane indicated Mirage III V equipped with engines of lift for takeoff and the landing and of a traditional engine for the normal flight. This project was accepted and a contract of development granted to Dassault and South-Aviation.

Balzac V

To validate the formula, a demonstrator indicated Balzac V was built by using already existing engines: he laid out of 8 engines Rolls Royce RB 108 of 1.000 kg/p each one placed vertically in the fuselage, and of an engine of propulsion Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 3 of 2.200 kg/p. Several innovations are made on this plane: first electric orders of flight and use of the Telemetry to communicate with the ground in Real-time the data of the vol.

The first Hovering is carried out on October 12th 1962, with Melun-Villaroche. The first transition towards the level flight takes place on March 18th, 1963 and a complete cycle of vertical takeoff, level flight then vertical landing is carried out on March 29th. The prototype is crushed on January 10th, 1964 however, killing its pilot. After being repaired, it takes again its tests but is definitively lost in September 1965, causing the death of the pilot again.

Mirage III V

Ordered in August 1961 and intended to reach Mach 2, Mirage III V is heavier than Balzac and been driven by more powerful engines: 8 Rolls Royce RB 162 of 2000 kg/p each one for lift and an engine of propulsion Pratt and Whitney JTF10 built under license by SNECMA.

Two prototypes are constructed: the Mirage III V01 (which make its first hovering on July 24th, 1965) and the Mirage III V02 (first flight on June 22nd, 1966). The first transition from the hovering to the level flight takes place on March 24th, 1966. September 12th, V02 reaches the speed of Mach 2 in level flight.

Meanwhile, the Ministère of Defense French realizes that the formula selected is complex to develop and that the cost of the program exceeds its budgets. Consequently, the project is abandoned as of May 1966, even if the tests are continued until the crash landing of V02 (November 28th, 1966). V01 from now on is exposed to the Musée of the air and space.

See too

External bonds

Balzac on the official site of Dassault
Mirage III V on the official site of Dassault

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