Even if the Dassault Mirage I flew in 1955 and the Mirage III in 1956 (before becoming a winner of the 1960s), the very start of this family may be the Payen Mir I of 1951 (and Mir II to Mir IV of 1952 to 1954). It is too early to start drawing them (before the start of this GB), but I am preparing in my mind to do that in the future.

In Russian language, Mir means world and means peace.
In French, Mir is a name of a soap since 1923: https://la-revue-des-marques.fr/sagas_marques/mir/mir.php (in French, sorry)
Maybe the idea in selecting this word was "the fighter that will clean the sky from enemy bad presence".

In Albanian, the word for "good" is "mirë". I have tried to listen, and it sounds like "mir".

Thanks for this addition!

(of course, because of current Russian bashing, I have not mentioned that the Payen Mir would be mainly the ancestors of the "wonderful" Mir Space Station, no, sorry).  

Today March 01st, the GB officially starts, so I am beginning to draw...

Here is the first drawing, close to the Mirage end:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/PayenMiraj_k.jpg

Whle the Mir-IV above was an ancestor of the Mirage (Mirage I), the Mir-IVA was a derivative of the Mirage (Mirage IIIA): 

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/PayenMiraj_m.jpg

Before (in whif History) and after (in drawing of mine) came the turboprop version:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/PayenMiraj_p.jpg

As well, before or after, a piston engine earlier version:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/PayenMiraj_q.jpg
With an engine behind the pilot like on P-39.

Of course the beginning was a normal engine, like on P-37/P-40:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/PayenMiraj_r.jpg

Somehow the idea of a piston engined Mirage appeals, even with normal wings.   

Thanks Kit!
Well, this is not Payen ancestor of Mirages exactly but related to this subject:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/PayenMiraj_s.jpg

I love them! 

I almost feel like building one, and I have a couple of Mirages in The Loft.

And guess when its first flight was? 1956................... 

Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 01, 2023, 11:46:16 AMAnd guess when its first flight was? 1956................... 

Coincidence is marvelous sometimes!