Mirage G8...

[Archibald]

As the Mirage 4000, the G8 is scratchbuild. This mean constant rebuilding to improve it, until it look fine. Problem was this Viggen nosecone was much too short, the plane looked bad. Found a more pointed nose, and grafted on the G8...

The Mirage G8-02 flew on 13th July 1972. One year later, it reached mach 2.34 at 49000 fts above Istres flight test center. This was quite a brilliant performance considering it was fitted with a Mirage F-1 weapon system, pylons underwings and Atar 9K50 engines. The plane flew until november 1974, beeing used as testbed for the ACF (wings were fixed at 55° sweep)
It now stay in Le Bourget mseum (reserves)  sadly in a very bad shape (it was half scrapped, so only the cockpit, wings and fuselage structure have survived).

[Brian da Basher]

Wow that's sweet Archie! This bird looks built for speed! B)

Brian da Basher