1) In addition to the 3 prototypes and the 6 pre-production aircraft, 140 serial Vautours were built, of which The FR-AF received ca. 112 :
1. The 30 production aircraft were numbered 1 to 30.
The serials 1-11 and 29-30 belonged to the Vautours A in the FR-AF
service. (Serials 12-28 were assigned to the Vautours delivered to
Israel; No. 7 and No. 8 arrived Israel in the late sixties as ex. "07" and ex. "08").
2. The 13 French aircraft were assigned to each of the following:
1. The serial Vautour IIB entered service, after a series of
tests, as late as beginning March 1958. They were assigned to two squadrons
forming the 92nd Bombing Wing.
VAUTOUR IIB
The sqns. were designated EB1/92 (I/92) "Bourgogne" and
EB2/92 (II/92) "Aquitaine". EB standing for Escadron de Bombardement (Bombing Squadron).
The aircraft had external alpha-numerical serials, composed of the "92" digits plus a two-letter suffix "AX" or "BX", corresponding to the
two squadrons.
(for example: ser. no. 627 of II/92 sqn. had the painted combination
92-BB).
This method was later changed, when the IIB's inventory decreased significantly (1970), to one sequence of "92-AX" only.
2. The Vautour B aircraft were numbered 601 to 640, of which four were delivered to Israel (Serials 616, 624, 626, 628).
3. The home-base of wing 92 was in Cognac AFB, adjacent to the Bombing
Trials Center (CIB).
4. All the IIB aircraft were fit with the "Monoblock" (All-Flying) tail
and their formal designation was Vautour IIB.1 .
5. The initial engines of the IIB variant were, at first, the standard ATAR 101E-3,
but later were refitted with the stronger 8,157 lb.st. Atar 101E-5.
6. Two were lost (Nos. 617 & 618) in crash landings, on one day,
end of July 1958, due to a failure in the hydraulic system of the "Monoblock" tail.
(A similar accident to that occured in the arrival of the "616" to Israel.
7. In mid. 1964 just 31 IIB were in the 92nd wing
inventory, divided between the two lessened squadrons.
8. The IIB was to replace the prop.-engined A-26 (ex. "B-26") Invader, and
to fill the gap till the Mirage-4, then at early development
stage, would be operational. ( In fact the A-26 continued its
service till the mid-60's and the Vautour IIB was replaced by the
strike variant of the "Mirage" F.1 ).
9. When the Mirage-4 entered service the Vautour IIB was utilized for
the new bombers crew-training.
10. Twelve Vautour IIB were converted to PR duties, designated IIBR. Towards the end of their service 7 were re-converted to ECM roles and newly designated IIB-GE
("Electronic Warfare"). Despite these conversions they retained bombing capabality.
11. Few were also fitted with refuelimg probes, for training.
12. In order to reinforce the limited quantity of the 92nd wing,
several (apparently 9 ) Vautour IIN joined the bombers' squadrons
in the mid. 70's.
13. The typical conventional armament of the Vautour IIB was: 6 x 350
kg. bombs (= 2,100 kgs.) in the weapon bay, plus up to four 450 kg.
bombs under wings. In its nuclear-bombing configuration one bomb
(of ca. 700-800 kg.) was carried in the weapon bay.
ASMs and AAMs were not fitted to this variant.
14. In 1978 the strength of the Vautours decreased to 24, and they faced
replacement. At first it was planned that the Jaguar-A attack
variant will substitute the Vautours, but finally they were
replaced, end of 1978 and during 1979, by the "Mirage" F.1C.
15. Some of the survivors continued their service as target-tugs and
as test aircraft. The last were withdrawn by 1980.
16. The service of the Vautours IIB lasted very long, ca. 20 years
but is considered quite mediocre. It became obsolete within a short
time, and lacked modern systems for target search, fire control and
advanced precise armament.
16. Preserved aircraft:
1. The 70 production Vautour IIN were numbered 301 to 370. Seven
( serials 322, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330)
were delivered to Israel in 1958. No. 301 arrived to Israel in 1964,
as an exchange to the Israeli No. 69.
VAUTOUR IIN
2. The Vautours of the 30th wing were painted with the four-character
sign, in the format of "30 - XY", the digits xy corresponding to squadron.
3. Besides the aircraft delivered to Israel, some 6 were used
as test-beds for diverse instrumentation and missiles.
Four ( ser. no. 301, 337, 348 & 363 ) were fitted
to test the Mirage-III Cyrano radar, their nose replaced by a pointed, radome-housing front. The test aircraft had a different painted
sign, "AA/CEV", where AA are letters and CEV stands for "Flight Test Center" at
Bretigny AB. These also tested later the Mirage 2000.
radar.
4. The 40 final production aircraft were powered by the 8,157 lb.st.
Atar 101E-5 turbojet.
5. 25 Vautours N were modified to "Monoblock" tails and formally
designated IIN.1.
6. The typical armament of the Vautour IIN was (in addition to the
4x30mm guns), 2-4 AAMs: AA-20 (Nord-5103) or R-511, or
2-4 68mm rocket pods. Some also carried an internal load of 116 68mm rockets, under
the front rack of the weapon bay.
{ The planned armament of 240 rockets packs was not implemented, since
tests proved this installation to be dangerous}.
7. Nine Vautours IIN were fitted with camerae, in the nose
, in expense of guns. These joined the Vautours BR in the 92nd
Wing .
8. After their withdrawl from combat service, during 1973-1974, a few Vautours IIN continued to serve as test platforms. Some participated
in NBC drills as monitors of radioactivity and other atmospheric parameters.
9. Ca. 40 aircraft were sent to scrap in 1980-1981, a bunch of six still
served as test beds for several more years.
10. The service of the Vautour IIN lasted a long time (ca. 17
years) and it was the backbone of the Armee de L'air all-weather defence,
between 1958 to 1962 (together with the F-86K Sabre).
After the entrance of the Mirage-III into service it still maintained its
role for several more years. The importance of this variant was also in
being a fine platform for various testings.
11. Preserved aircraft:
Picture: the last survivor (F-AZHP, ex. ser.no. 348, one of the Cyrano test aircraft ) was in flying condition till 1996.
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