Dassult Mirage F.1
Photo from Navejic's Photos
By the 1960's it was apparent that the Mirage III would soon need replacement as France's principal fighter. The Dassault-Breguet Company built the excellent Mirage F.1 as a response. The F.1C is the principal fighter variant, but strike F.1E and many recon and trainer variants also exist. The F.1C provides a relatively low cost fighter armed with the excellent Matra Magic and Super 530F AAM combination. F.1 no longer competes as a frontline fighter, but it still serves in many air forces. With only one engine the F.1 doesn't have the size or range to fight with the big guys like the Su-27 and MiG-29, but the F.1 still provides a powerful sting when used correctly. The F.1's wing was a departure from the tailess delat Mirages of the fifties. However, the high swept wing provided shorter takeoff, better lift and more maneuverability than the delta.
Specifications
(Data for F.1C)
Origin: Dassult-Breguet, France
Type: Fighter
Crew: Pilot
Powerplant: One SNECMA Atar 9K-50 afterburning turbojet delivering 7 200 kg (15 873 lbs) of thrust
Dimensions
Span: 8.4 m (27' 6.75")
Height: 4.5 m (14' 9")
Length: 15 m (49' 2.5")
Maximum Loaded Weight: 14 900 kg (32 850 lbs)
Performance
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.2 (2 335 kph) (1 450 mph)
Sea Level Speed: Mach 1.2 (1 470 kph) (910 mph)
Climb Rate: 14 580 m (47 835 feet) /min
Range max weaps: 900 km (560 miles)
Service Ceiling: 20 000 m (65 600 feet)
Armament
Two DEFA 5-53 20 mm cannons with 135 rounds each & upto 4 000 kg (8 820 lbs) of bombs, missiles, tanks, and pods. Usually two Matra 550 Magic dogfight AAMs and two Matra Super 530 long range homing AAMs.
First Flight: F.1C February 15 , 1973
User(s): Equador, France, Greece, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, South Africa, Spain
Production: 554
Unit Cost:
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