Dassault Balzac V
The Dassault Balzac V ( V for vertical ) was an experimental aircraft from the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation, which could launch and land vertically ( VTOL). It was designed as a supersonic aircraft with a lift and thrust engine configuration ( lift cruise ).
With the Balzac wanted to check the vertical launch concept. To this end, Dassault changed the first prototype of the Mirage III. For the vertical takeoff and landing capability, eight lift engines of the type Rolls- Royce RB.108 - each with a thrust of 9.6 kN ( 2,160 lb) - mounted in the fuselage. As cruise engine, the Bristol Siddeley Orpheus was used with 4,850 lb.
The aircraft completed its first tethered hover through October 12, 1962 on 18 October 1962, the first free hovering flight took place on March 1, 1963, the first conventionally conducted flight. The first transition from vertical to horizontal flight took place in the same month.
The name of the aircraft has not been chosen in honor of the French writer Honoré de Balzac, but due to an advertisement for a film advertising agency, which published her phone number: " BALZAC 0-0-1 ".
The plane crashed on January 27, 1964, the pilot was killed. Although the machine could be repaired, but crashed on September 8, 1965 from again, again with the death of the pilot, this time even in complete destruction of the machine. The main reason of the two crashes was the thrust loss by the Triebwerksein inlets and discharges in the transition to hover.
The findings of the Balzac -T program were incorporated into the much larger Mirage IIIV.