Early Mirage III competitors (1953-1956)

Archibald

ACCESS: USAP
Senior Member
Joined
6 June 2006
Messages
11,689
Reaction score
13,269
The Mirage III was the winner of a competition for a multirole, mach 2 fighter. Its only two competitors were the rocket-powered Trident II, and the Durandal which was quite similar to the Mirage, with a frontal air intake.
The Trident was eliminated as too specialised, and the Durandal because of its frontal air intake and weak low-level performances.

But these three aircrafts were realised for an earlier competition, a supersonic lightweight fighter. In fact it was to be the high-altitude complement of the NATO lightweight fighters (Fiat G.91, Etendard II IV VI, Breguet 1001 / 1100 TAON, SE-5000 Baroudeur).

Here are the Mirage III ancestors, Mirage 01/I and Mirage II.
The Durandal and Trident were the competitors.

Three other projects never went off the drawing board
- Morane-Saulnier MS-1000
- SNCAN (Nord) -5000 Harpon
- Breguet Br.1002

The pictures come from "les avions de combat francais 1945-1960 Chasseurs" by Jean Cuny. (I noticed that the pictures are signed JMC, and I'm quite sure its Jean Marie Carbonel :) )
 

Attachments

  • Diapositive1.JPG
    Diapositive1.JPG
    52.5 KB · Views: 1,118

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom