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Dassault
Mirage III, France -1956 |
Dassault Mirage III-001 flew for the first time on November 18,
1956, and after just over two months it had been flown at a
speed of Mach 1.52. Modifications soon boosted the speed of the
airplane to Mach 1.8, soon attracting the interest of the French
air force, which ordered 10 of the improved preproduction Mirage
IIIAs. First flown on May 12, 1958, the production Mirage IIIA
demonstrated a maximum speed of Mach 2.2 with the use of an
auxiliary rocket motor. When series production of this airplane
finished in 1989, over 1,400 Mirage IIIs, Vs, and 50s had been
delivered, nearly 950 of them for export.
About half the existing Mirage III
operators have embarked on upgrade programs to extend the lives
of their aircraft, some of which are now 20-30 years old. The
last version of this airplane, the Mirage 50, was powered by one
15,873-lb thrust SNECMA Atar 9K-50 turbojet, with a maximum
speed at altitude of Mach 2.2; service ceiling at Mach 2 of
59,055 ft; and combat radius with two 882-lb bombs of 391 miles.
Airplane armament can include basic armament of two 30-mm DEFA
cannon in fuselage, plus a wide variety of external stores on
seven attachment points. Later versions of the Mirage continue
currently. |
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Dassault Mirage
III
Premier Series. 1/40th scale. 8.5" wingspan x
16" long.
No. AFW2D-PR. Only $194.95 |
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