Design goal on a one way nuclear bombing?

Nic

The French government set the goal posts, not Dassault.

Combat loaded F-22 is faster than a similar configuration on the F-15E. Undoubtedly it’s faster.

Ferry range would presumably be with semi submerged belly tank and two rather large 2500L drop tanks. There were two belly tanks options AFAIK, 2200L or a 1300L with integral AS-30R launcher and later a laser designator for AS-30L. (The original used radio command / MCLOS.) Fuel was listed as an internal maximum of 16,000L stored in the fuselage, wings, and tail. And let’s not forget takeoffs were RATO assisted using twelve canisters, which sounds like eight were fired than four were fired as they waned.

You know why nobody bought it outside of France, because it wasn’t offered. France couldn’t even afford many. So I guess you can save your sarcasm. Actually a version was offered to the UK using Speys I think, but we already know about F-4K and how that might have worked out.

BTW – Using afterburners the prototype flew just under Mach 2 sustained over a 1,000km course. These were the earlier engines with worse economy and a tonne less thrust out of each tailpipe. Not bad considering the original high altitude nuclear mission was to be run at 1.8 times the speed of sound.

The nuclear Mirage IV originally was a high altitude free fall nuclear bomb delivery vehicle. MRBM were France’s real strategic deterrence, the air delivery was for tactical use. It’s secondary design goal was sixteen 500kg bombs delivered 4000km using all high altitude flight profiles. Alternative conventional load was six 1200kg bombs over the same distance. The layout for 500kg bombs was six center line in two rows of three, three under the wet pylon, and two under the outer wing pylons. The layout for 1200kg bombs doesn’t appear in any notes I’ve looked through. Maybe somebody has a diagram?

When Mirage IV was developed it seems to have added significant weight with the radar and ASMP control suite. I cannot imagine an aircraft that flies in a low altitude penetration flight profile over half it’s ferry range on a loaded nuclear combat radius is anywhere near range limited as they allude. I believe the nuclear role depended on the ferry tanks to be in place in order to get that exceptional low altitude penetration range.

Mirage IV had better range than Vulcan until it went to the low level penetration role. IIRC it’s original conventional role called for sixteen 500kg bombs. Maybe you got it confused with something else.

Both pilots safe

http://tass.ru/en/society/833072

Why limit themselves to Russia engines and not buy off the shelf Western engines?