Dassault Mirage G

Dassault Mirage G
The Dassault Mirage G8-01 and G-8-02 prototypes in flight. The G8-01's wings are swept.
Role	Swing-wing multirole fighter
Manufacturer	Dassault Aviation
First flight	18 November 1967
Status	Cancelled in the 1970s
Primary user	French Air Force
Number built	3
Developed from	Dassault Mirage F2

The Dassault Mirage G was a French two-seat twin engined variable-geometry prototype fighter, built by Dassault in the late 1960s. The aircraft was further developed into the twin-engine Mirage G4 and G8 variants as a multi-role jet fighter capable of both interception and nuclear strike missions. Although Dassault built and flew prototypes, the entire programme was terminated in the 1970s without the aircraft entering production.^[1]

 

Contents 1 Development 2 Variants 2.1 Mirage G4 2.2 Mirage G8 3 Aircraft on display 4 Specifications (Mirage G8-02)

Development

In 1964 the French defence ministry requested a development programme on variable-sweep wing aircraft for dual land and aircraft carrier use. An order for an experimental prototype, powered by a single Pratt & Whitney/SNECMA TF-306 turbofan, was placed in October 1965.^[2]
The first variable-sweep aircraft from Dassault emerged as the single-engined, two-seat Mirage G fighter in 1967, essentially a swept wing version of the Mirage F2. The wings were swept at 22 degrees when fully forward and 70 degrees when fully aft and featured full-span double-slotted trailing edge flaps and two-position leading edge flaps.^[3]
Flight trials were relatively successful but no production order ensued, the Mirage G programme being cancelled in 1968.^[2] Flying with the Mirage G continued however until 13 January 1971 when the sole prototype was lost in an accident.

Variants

Mirage G4

The basic Mirage G was developed into a twin-engine, two-seat nuclear strike fighter, the Mirage G4 after a separate contract was issued in 1968 for two aircraft to be built. These aircraft were intended to be powered by Snecma M53 turbojets in production.^[2] While the aircraft were under construction the requirements changed and the French military requested that the design be converted into a dedicated interceptor.^[2]

Mirage G8

Mirage G4-01 was redesignated G8-01 and remained a two-seat aircraft (first flight 8 May 1971) with the second aircraft, G4-02 becoming a single-seat version, G8-02 (first flight 13 July 1972).^[2] The G8 variants were equipped with Thomson-CSF radar and a low-altitude navigational-attack system based on that used in the SEPECAT Jaguar and Dassault Milan.^[1][2] As no funding was included for the Mirage G8 in the 1971-1976 French defence budget the aircraft did not enter production.^[1]

Aircraft on display

Dassault Mirage G8-01 is on public display at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace near Paris.^[4]

Specifications (Mirage G8-02)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 18.80 m (61 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan:
  
  • Extended: 15.40 m (50 ft 6 in)
  • Swept: 8.70 m (28 ft 7 in)
• Height: 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in)
• Empty weight: 14,740 kg (32,500 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× SNECMA Atar 9K50 turbojets, 70.1 kN (15,800 lbf) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 2.2 Mach
• Range: 3,850 km (2,080 nm, 2,390 mi)
• Service ceiling: 18,500 m (60,700 ft)