The Mirage F.1 replaced the familiar delta wing of the Mirage with a swept wing, set at shoulder height and fitted with flaps and slats. This was combined with a low-set slab tailplane. The Mirage F1 Fighter did not achieve the enormous sales of the Mirage III, but was nevertheless sold to France, Ecuador, Greece, Iraq, Libya, Marocco, Quatar, Jordania, South-Africa, and Spain. A more advanced version, the Mirage F.1E with a M53 engine, lost the NATO fighter competition to the F-16. The Mirage 2000 has replaced the F1 one the production lines, but the Mirage F1 will continue in service for some time.
The Mirage F1 Fighter is the successor of the Mirage III, but it radically change the aerodynamic configuration, from a pure Delta to a more classical wing with high efficiency flaps devices, while the power plant remain based on the SNECMA ATAR 9, even in an upgraded version (9K50 instead of 9C). Born as a high altitude interceptor with Mach2+ capacity (F1-C) it has moved to Air To Ground and Reco mission in the French Air Force. Export versions are numerous, and not so different from the first generation of French F1 aircraft.
First generation used in French Air Force:
· Mirage F1 C-100 : single seat without Air refueling capacity
· Mirage F1 C-200 : single seat with Air refueling capacity
· Mirage F1 B : two seat without Air refueling capacity (Training)
Export versions:
· Mirage F1 AZ : single seat Tactical version for South Africa
· Mirage F1 CZ : single seat Interceptor version for South Africa
Last generation used in French Air Force:
· Mirage F1 CR : single seat Reco version
· Mirage F1 CT : single seat Tactical version
Mirage F1 Basic data
· Dry weight : 7,845 kg / 17,320 lbs (F1-CZ)
· Shell : 300 lbs
· Pilot : 209 lbs
· Total weight without fuel : 17,830 lbs
· Internal Fuel Capacity : 3,397 kg / 7,500lbs
· Reference Area : 25.00 m2 (272 sq.ft)
· Max Mach Number : 2.1
· Max Indicated Air speed (VNE) : 700 Kts, under FL200, 750 above
· Ceil: 55,000 ft
· Max. Load Factor : +7.2 / -3.0G (M < 1.0); +6.0/-3 (M > 1.0)
Engine SNECMA ATAR 9K-50
· Static Dry Thrust : 48 kN (10,700 lbs)
· Static AB Thrust: 68 kN (15,350 lbs)
Mirage F1 Radar: Thomson CSF Cyrano IV for F1-C (Interceptor versions), providing RWR, STT mode (no TWS) and Auto-Lock (ACM) with 3 sub modes (15x15, 30x15 and screw). Range and performance are unknown.
Weapon Loads and Armament system
· Internal Gun: two 30.00mm DEFA with 125 rounds each.
· 3 wet load points
· Mirage F1 are GBU/BGL capable, but French FA-CT &CR are not able to hold the Laser designation Pod, that means than an other designation device (airplane or other) is necessary, so my recommendation in Falcon is not to use precision weapon with French Mirage F1 (Laser bomb delivery under external designation is not possible in F4). In the other hand, Iraqis F1 hold ATLIS pod at load point 3, allowing autonomous GBU handling.
Mirage F1 Fighter aceleration Max values of AoA (in degrees) recommended is 17 degree in subsonic configuration (15 if Mach > 1.00), providing best turn rate. Lift is no more increasing when AoA get higher than 20 degrees and automatic Pitch limiter keep incidence lower than 23 degree. Stall is quite impossible to reach in symmetrical condition. Maximum Acceleration (G) in subsonic domain is 7.2G for light configurations (CAT-I), this limit is decreased to 6 when Mach number goes higher than 1.0. A technical review of the airframe is required if G-load exceed 11G, but structural limit seems to be around 14G. Maximum reported G-Load in real life is 17G !
0 comments:
Post a Comment