Dassault Mystère IV

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Dassault MD.454 Mystère IV is a 1950's French fighter-bomber.

Contents

1 Development
2 Operational history
3 Variants
4 Operators
5 Specifications (Mystère IVA)
6 References
7 Related content

Development

The Mystère IV was an evolutionary development of the Mystère II aircraft. Although bearing an external resemblance to the earlier aircraft, Mystère IV was in fact a new design with aerodynamic improvements for supersonic flight. First prototype flew on September 28, 1952, and the aircraft entered service in April of 1953. The first 50 production aircraft were powered by British Rolls-Royce Tay turbojets, while the remainder had the French-built Hispano-Suiza Verdon 350 version of that engine.

Operational history

Israeli Mystère IVs saw action during the Arab-Israeli Wars and were joined by the French Mystères for the Suez crisis. On June 8, 1967, Israeli aircraft were involved in the tragic and controversial attack on USS Liberty. Indian aircraft were used in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

Variants

In addition to production Mystère IVA, Dassault developed an upgraded Mystère IVB with either Rolls-Royce Avon (first two prototypes) or SNECMA Atar 101 (third prototype) afterburning engine and a radar ranging gunsight. However, the project was abandoned in favor of the promising Super Mystère.

Dassault also proposed a two-seat all-weather interceptor version called Mystère IVN. The aircraft was equipped with the AN/APG-33 radar in an arrangement similar to North American F-86D Sabre Dog, powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet, and armed with 55x 68 mm Matra rockets in a retractable belly tray. The first prototype flew on July 19, 1954. AdA eventually decided to purchase Sud Aviation Vautour and F-86K Sabre for the interceptor role but the Mystère IVN prototype continued to fly for several years as a testbed for radar equipment.

Operators

France, India, Israel.

Specifications (Mystère IVA)

References

Donald, D, Lake J. (eds.) (1996) Encyclopedia of world military aircraft. AIRtime Publishing. ISBN 1880588242
Kopenhagen, W (ed.) (1987) Das groβe Flugzeug-Typenbuch. Transpress. ISBN 3344001620 (The big aircraft book)