Dassault Mirage 4000
At his own expense, the company Dassault - Breguet developed the prototype of the twin Jetflugzeugs Mirage 4000 and had incorporated the experience which they had gained with the single-jet fighter plane Mirage 2000. The " Super Mirage 4000" was designed as a fighter-bomber and interceptor in a weight class of 20 tons.
History and construction
The Mirage 4000 heavily leaned on to the Mirage F2, a version for low-flying attacks.
The aircraft had delta wings and ducks and had a modern fly-by -wire system. However the aircraft was constructed very simply to facilitate maintenance. To save weight, in some parts coal and borfaserverstärkte plastics were used.
Her two SNECMA M53 engines, each with 95.16 kN ensured a better Schub-/Gewichtsverhältnis than 1:1.
1979 first flew the prototype of the " Super Mirage" and reached the first flight a speed of 1.2 Mach.
After several trials of the fighter jet reached a maximum speed of 2655 km / h and a peak altitude of nearly 20,000 feet. You could also carry up to eight tons of weapons, which could contribute to 14 external pylons. Fully loaded it had an operating weight of 16,100 kg and was therefore lighter than a comparable western hunters.
Due to budget cuts and a very high number, the project was abandoned in 1980 in favor of the Mirage 2000 despite Saudi Arabian support.
Whereabouts
The only copy is now in a Wüstentarnanstrich in unrestored condition in the open area of the French aviation museum in Le Bourget.