Mirage IV A by Heller

1/72 scale
Kit No. 80351
Retail: $34.00
Decals: One version
Comments: Raised panel lines, detailed cockpit, includes nuclear weapon fitting into ventral recess

History

The Dassault Mirage IV is a supersonic strategic bomber and reconnaissance aircraft produced by the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation. It entered service with the French Air Force in October 1964 and was, until 1971, the sole nuclear delivery vehicle of the Force de Frappe, or Nuclear Strike Force. It was the only European aircraft able to maintain a speed of Mach 2 for over 30 minutes.

The Suez Crisis of October 1956 prompted France to investigate establishing a “strategic intervention force”equipped with its own nuclear weapons, a plan which made France the world’s fourth nuclear power. Soon after General Charles de Gaulle became Prime Minister in June 1958, he pursued a policy of national independence and the development of an independent nuclear strike force, which he referred to as France’s “dissuasion of aggression” weapon. These events served to heighten the importance of the Mirage IV which was then under development and would become the center piece of the Force de Frappe, France’s strategic nuclear deterrent. The scheme involved development of a nuclear strike aircraft, followed by a ballistic missile, and would eventually facilitate French withdrawal from NATO in 1966 (quickly followed by military cooperation agreements with NATO members, reducing the practical effect of the withdrawal).

The Mirage IV A in flight. Photo by avionslegendaires.net

Development

Development of the Mirage IV began in 1956 as part of the French nuclear program. In May 1956, the French government drew up a specification for a supersonic bomber capable of in-flight refuelling, able to carry a three-ton nuclear bomb over 2,000 km. The final specifications were approved on March 20, 1957. Sud Aviation proposed the Super Vautour and Nord Aviation submitted a proposal also — but Dassault won the competition in April 1957 with its Mirage III-derived proposal which was judged cheaper and simpler to develop.

The Mirage IV 01 prototype, built in 18 months at Saint-Cloud, made its first flight on June 17, 1959 in the hands of Roland Glavany. On September 19, 1960, René Bigand raised the world speed record over a 1,000 km closed circuit to 1,822 km/h, then to 1,972 km/h over 500 km on September 23rd. An enlarged project, the J75-powered Mirage IVB, was cancelled in July 1959 on cost grounds. An order for 50 Mirage IAs was placed on April 4, 1960; the first production aircraft flew on December 7, 1963. In total, 62 examples were built and delivered between 1964 and 1968. Sud Aviation supplied the wings and rear fuselage, Breguet the fin. Export variants, including the Rolls-Royce Spey-powered Mirage IV* (or IVS) proposed jointly with BAC to the RAF in July 1965, were not selected; the F-111K was preferred. Australia also passed it up in favour of the F-111C.

The Mirage IV assembly line. Photo courtesy Dassault Aviation.

Design

The Mirage IV retained the tail-less delta wing and fin of the Mirage III, but with a thickness/chord ratio of 3.8% at the root and 3.2% at the tip. It was powered by two SNECMA Atar turbojets fed by intakes with movable half-cone center bodies known as “souris” (mice), and limited to Mach 2.2 for thermal reasons reflecting the limits of temperature extremes that the airframe can withstand when accelerating to and decelerating from Mach speeds. While the Mirage IV could withstand Mach 2 speed for over half an hour, the Mirage III from which it was derived could only take such speeds for a few minutes. Internal fuel capacity was 14,000 liters (3,698 U.S. gallons), held in integral tanks; a refueling probe was built into the nose. The two-man crew, pilot and navigator, sat in tandem under two separate canopies. A bombing and navigation radar was housed in a ventral radome between the intakes; most of the avionics come from Thomson-CSF, SFENA and Dassault, the Marconi AD.2300 Doppler radar was one of the few foreign items.

Armament

The Mirage IVA carries in a ventral recess a 60 kt AN-11 or AN-22 nuclear bomb, or up to 16 conventional bombs of 454 kg (1,000 lbs). Four underwing pylons take 2,500-litre (660 U.S. gallons) tanks on the inboard stations and ECM or chaff/flare dispenser pods on the outboard stations, including the Barax NG jammer and the BOZ dispenser. No gun was ever fitted. From 1972, twelve aircraft received the CT52 reconnaissance pod; in the 1980s, eighteen aircraft were fitted with a ventral pylon for the ASMP supersonic nuclear cruise missile.

The Mirage IV bomber and the Mirage III interceptor side by side at the Dassault facility.

Operational History

Deliveries of the Mirage IV to the Armee de l’Air began in February 1964 and the first squadron was declared operational on October 1st of that year. At its height, the Mirage IV force reached nine squadrons of four aircraft spread over nine bases, including 1/91 “Gascogne” at Mont-de-Marsan and 2/93 “Cévennes” at Orange. Thirty-six aircraft were on alert, twelve of them airborne, complemented by 26 in reserve. Fourteen Boeing KC-135F tankers were acquired, the Mirage IVs often operating in pairs with “buddy” refueling. Their targets were major Soviet cities and bases, including Moscow and Murmansk. In ten years, the fleet accumulated more than 200,000 flight hours and 40,000 refuelings. As Soviet surface-to-air missiles improved in service ceiling, accuracy and lethality throughout the early years of the Mirage IV’s service, the initial high-altitude mission profile at Mach 1.85 was abandoned in the late 1960’s in favor of low-altitude penetration. The first operational use of the CT52 reconnaissance pod took place over Chad in September 1974. In the reconnaissance role, the Mirage IV P operated over Bosnia, Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. No export customer was found. The Mirage IV was withdrawn from the nuclear mission in 1996 and from operational service in 2005.

The Kit

Heller’s Mirage IV A is injection molded in grey plastic and consists of 85 parts on five sprues, including 7 clear plastic parts for the windshield, canopies, navigation lights, and large ventral sensor. Originally released by Heller in 1979, this 1996 re-release features the first ever image of the Mirage IV on the ground with landing gear deployed. Despite the more dramatic image of the aircraft in flight on the initial 1979 release, the depiction of the Mirage IV, likely on takeoff, became the default image on all subsequent re-releases.

The kit features a reasonably detailed tandem cockpit with raised relief on the instrument panels, a molded fabric pattern on the seat backs, and a control yoke for the pilot. The jet intakes are detailed with half-cones and separately mounted covers. The nose cone consists of two halves to which four sensors and a refueling probe boom are cemented, although the boom looks a bit rough. Modelers may want to replace it with a metal aftermarket example, if one can be found (Master Model makes them for both the 1/72 and 1/48 Mirage IV).

The kit’s landing gear are average in quality, to the point that some modelers may consider depicting this bird in flight. There are separately mounted dive brakes for both the upper and lower wing surfaces; these can be depicted deployed if the kit is in flight, on an attack run. The large delta wing consists of three parts, and there are two nicely detailed burner cans for the engine exhausts, which will fit smoothly into apertures in a part that is cemented into the aircraft’s tail. The instructions feature a paint guide for every step in the instruction sheet, but it is in Heller and Humbrol colors only.

The kit features among the final touches two 2500 liter drop tanks mounted on the wings, and an AN-22 nuclear bomb fitted into a recess in the aircraft’s belly. This latter item it to be painted white with a black nose cone. Lastly, there is a four-view schematic of the Mirage IV bearing a camouflage scheme of Matt Sea Grey and Matt Army Green, with Sea Grey under surfaces, again calling out Humbrol and Heller colors only.

Markings

The kit bears markings for any one of six aircraft of France’s Mirage IV A fleet, based on the decals for call letters provided: AC, CA, CC, CE, CH, and AX. These letters appear on the fuselage side just aft of the cockpit. National markings and stencils are the same for all six versions. The markings have realistic color and are completely in register. All appear quite serviceable despite their age.

Conclusion

This is an interesting kit of a Cold War icon, the nuclear bomber that at one time was the center piece of France’s independent nuclear deterrent and a living reminder of why Charles de Gaulle, charismatic leader though he was, was also a thorn in the side to successive American presidents. Highly recommended.

References

https://www.globalmilitary.net