A Question

[Archibald]

I've browsed and asked on a french forum how long is Mirage F1 take off run. Seems that it's circa 1200 m with a decent load of AAMs... but there's no way of haing a PRECISE length of Port Stanley runway. According to (bloody) Key Publishing Aviation Forum, it was something like 900 - 1200 m (depending from the sources!    

Even for a Mirage F1 it could have been hard taking off from this runway...  

[Mossie]

It should be able to make it with a light load, or possibly RATO?  I know Mirage IV's used them, would the F1's airframe be stressed for them?  Probably doesn't matter if it wasn't, you could write it into your backstory as any strengthening to the fuselage probably wouldn't be seen externally.

[Archibald]

In fact Argentina urgently needed a modern fighter in 1972. It seems that Gloster Meteor F.4 and F-86F were still used for air defence!    
so they bought Mirage IIIE. At the time, the F1 had not entered service in the AdA. In fact Dassault lost two years because the -01 prototypes crashed in may 1967, killing René Bigand (the tail went down at low level    )

So the F1-02 only flew in 1969, and entered AdA service in 1973. Exports orders started in 1974...

Now, whatif Argentina had waited two more years and bought F1s ?

In this case, interim solution could have been a loan of former Israelis Mirage V.
Those 50 aircrafts had been embargoed in 1969, mothballed, then bought by the AdA in 1972. They had no radar, and this proved very annoying in European bad weather. They were nevertheless used until 1993 and replaced by Mirage F1CT!  

No RATO on Mirage F1 in real world, but this is an interesting idea   And light load  take-off, too.

Hmmm I've got an idea... it seems that SE and Skyhawks had buddy refueling packs. In Iran Iraq war, Mirage F1EQ flew in pair, one armed, the other refueling.

Hmmm FAA Mirage F1s with buddy refueling packs...

[Archibald]

Answered from a pilot instructor on Mirage F1 "between 900 and 1000 m with AAMs, 1200 m with a ventral tank. "

I searched Port Stanley on Google Earth (I know that the runway was improved by the RAF after the Falkland war )

[B777LR]

I've browsed and asked on a french forum how long is Mirage F1 take off run. Seems that it's circa 1200 m with a decent load of AAMs... but there's no way of haing a PRECISE length of Port Stanley runway. According to (bloody) Key Publishing Aviation Forum, it was something like 900 - 1200 m (depending from the sources!    

Even for a Mirage F1 it could have been hard taking off from this runway...

Apparently, the only argentine type to be able to use port stanley airbase was pucaras and a Fokker. Then a skyhawk or Mirage III made an emergency landing there, and blocked the runway...  (pucaras eventually destroyed by the SAS)

[Archibald]

No Mirage ever landed at Port Stanley.
Lt Cuerva (or was it Perona, can't remember) atempted to land on 1st May (at the end of the first encounter with Sea Harriers)  but he was shot down by nervous Argies AAA gunners    

I have to admit there was nothing which could be done with Port Stanley runway.  

After war the RAF extended the runway for Phantoms, then build a brand new airfield 30 km away,  Mount Pleasant... which also became international civilian airport (today Stanley is onlu sue for domestic flights).

there was a load of Pucara at Stanley, but they were sitting ducks against the Harriers, Rapiers and Blowpipe.

[Mossie]

Maybe an Argentine F1 variant of the Balzac Archie???

777, I'm pretty sure it was the Pucaras on Pebble Island (a tiny Island just off the northern coast of West Falkland) that were hit by the SAS.  I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but there's rumours (you'll find nothing official) that the SAS hit bases on Tierra del Fuego too.

[B777LR]

Ah thanks, i wasnt born back then, as you all know ^_^  

[Archibald]

Maybe an Argentine F1 variant of the Balzac Archie???

777, I'm pretty sure it was the Pucaras on Pebble Island (a tiny Island just off the northern coast of West Falkland) that were hit by the SAS.  I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but there's rumours (you'll find nothing official) that the SAS hit bases on Tierra del Fuego too.

Brilliant idea Mossie! In fact the Balzac V was the subsonic demonstrator (in fact the very first Mirage III-01 modified with 8 RB-108)

Mirage III-V was the true VTOL  supersonic fighter, it was an engine nightmare!!!
(1*TF-30 + 8 RB-108)
Hell, this machine still has the VTOL speed record (non official) Mach 2.04 in september 1966...
Of course, this is a whatif forum    

No Mirage III-V kit, but the Balzac has been made in 1/72 by Sharkit.

I agree that a FAA or ARA Balzac would be cool.
Problem with the Balzac V is it could flew only 12 minutes (its 9 engines were quite fuel guzzling...)
Of course we can solve that with a KC-130    and a refueling probe. Or even refueling from a Puma (after all, this is a VTOL aircraft) with a SE buddy pack...


And Mr Boeing-san, I'm very interested by the Falkland war because I've born in May 1982     B)

[ysi_maniac]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:A-4C_Tte_casco.jpg

Yellow patches were later changed to turquoise blue

[ysi_maniac]

I would say Humbrol 29 and 121 if you are familiar; 28 in undersrfaces.