The Dassault Mirage IIIV was a VTOL (Vertical Takeoff Or Landing) heavy fighter aircraft that was manufactured by Dassault Aviation. This plane was mainly designed as a prototype,
Description[]
Because Rolls-Royce RB162 lift engines specified for the Mirage IIIV were not expected to be available before 1963, Dassault modified the first Mirage III prototype as the Balzac V to serve as an interim VTOL testbed. Fitted with eight Rolls-Royce RB.108 lift engines and an unreheated Bristol Orpheus BOr 3 as the main engine. The Mirage IIIV had a longer fuselage than the other Mirages and had a wider wingspan.
General Characteristics[]
- Crew: 1
- Length: 18 m (59 ft 5 in)
- Wingspan: 8.72 m (28 ft 7 in)
- Height: 5.55 m (18 ft 2 in)
- Loaded weight: 12,000 kg (26,455 lb)
- Powerplant:
- 1 × Snecma TF104B turbofan, 4,725 kg (19,842 lb)
- 8 × Rolls-Royce RB162 lift turbojet, 2,000 kg (4,409 lb) each
Performance[]
- Maximum speed: Mach 2.04
- Rate of climb: Unknown (Because of the ability of vertical takeoff)
- Maximum range: Unknown