RCAF Dassault Chartreuse Reach Mirage IV F.6

[comrade harps]

Dassault Chartreuse Reach Mirage IV F.6
a/c 919, 425 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, 31 March 1989
Last operational flight: Major Patrick "Buster" Leduc (pilot) and Captain Les "Buzz" Parsons (radar intercept officer)



After fleeing revolutionary France in 1950, Marcel Dassault reestablished his aircraft design and manufacturing company in Canada with the financial assistance of the Quebec government and private investors. These included Fairchild, who merged their poorly performing Canadian subsidiary, Fairchild Aircraft Ltd, with the new company to form Avions Dassault Fairchild. Although the American company maintained its interest, the Fairchild name was dropped in 1952 and Avions Marcel Dassault emerged, although it went on to trade as Dassault Canada and, from 1960, simply as Dassault. By then Noorduyn Aircraft Limited had been absorbed by Dassault and the assets of the Ottawa Car & Aircraft Corporation acquired in order for the company to hire experienced staff and industrial space.




Having evacuated most of his design team and their families, Dassault was able to quickly focus on building the Mystere series of fighter prototypes based on the blueprints they had rescued from Paris. Using a rapid iterative prototyping and testing paradigm, Dassault would go on to produce the Mystere IIC, Mystere IVC and Super Mystere II series of fighter bombers for Canada and export customers by the end of the decade.




The exiled German aviation engineer and designer Alexander Lippisch joined Dassault in 1953. Taken to America as part of Operation Paperclip, he worked with Convair from 1947 to 1951, then joined Fairchild in 1951 and moved to Dassault in 1952. Hired to work on high-speed tailless delta designs, Lippisch was instrumental in the design of Dassault's next series of fighters: the Mirage. After the Mirage I technology demonstrator flew in 1954, the company worked on a series of design studies (including the unbuilt Mirage II) while submitting tailless delta designs to meet RCAF requirements. This resulted in orders for the lightweight (single-seat, single-engine) Mirage III and the heavyweight (two-seat, twin-engined) Mirage IV.




The Mirage IV was proposed to meet a variety of RCAF requirements from the outset. The basic airframe, engines and avionics were viewed as a "platform" from which a series of specialised versions could be built while retaining a high degree of commonality. This resulted in an aircraft that was used in strategic nuclear bomber, atomic-armed interceptor, conventional bomber and reconnaissance roles. Mirage IV versions, produced and proposed, include:

Canadian production versions:
Mirage IV Alabaster Gemini B.1: Original strategic nuclear bomber: Australia (24), Canada (68)
Mirage IV White Cyclosa F.2: Interceptor: Canada (66)
Mirage IV Amaranth Causeway BR.3: Conventional fighter-bomber, reconnaissance and maritime strike (anti-shipping): Canada (268)
Mirage IV Amber Posy R.4: Reconnaissance: Australia (16), Canada (28)
Mirage IV Lilac Dust E.5: Defence suppression for B.1 force, with Standard ARM and jammer pods, all ex-ES airframes: Canada (24)
Mirage IV Chartreuse Reach F.6: Upgraded F.2 with new avionics and weapons: Canada (38)
Mirage IV Cerise Seed B.7: Upgraded B.1 with new avionics and Indigo Vein ASMP nuclear missile: Canada (22)

Export-only production versions:
Mirage IV EA, EN and ES: Conventional bomber export versions of Mirage IV BR.3: EA Australia (36), EN Iran (24), ES Saudi Arabia (24, but cancelled before delivery*)

Prototypes and proposals include:
Mirage IV ASAT: Proposed lightened F.6 with anti-satellite missile
Mirage IV NG: Dassault prototype for "advanced ADV" with canards, wing leading-edge extensions and avionic upgrades: Canada (1)
Mirage IV Hudson/Mirage IV TF41: Proposed installation of Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans or their American equivalent, the Allison TF41.
Mirage IV Iroquois: Proposed installation of Orenda Iroquois turbojet
Mirage IV J75: Proposed installation of Pratt & Whitney J75 turbojets
Mirage IV TF30/Mirage IV TF106: Proposed installation of Pratt & Whitney TF30 turbofan or its (proposed) Canadian licence-built equivalent, the Snecma TF106



Although envisaged to fulfil a variety of roles, the Mirage IV's design was primarily dictated by its strategic nuclear bomber version, the Alabaster Gemini Mirage IV B.1. Designed to carry the jointly produced Australian-Canadian 60 kiloton Teal Harvest AN-11 atomic bomb, the Mirage IV B.1 was designed to match a mission profile that called for a high-speed, high-altitude penetration of Red airspace. Unusually, the B.1 did not have a nose-mounted radar but instead featured a downward-looking Philips Canada Umber Baloon DRRA.8A navigation and bombing radar installed amidships in the lower fuselage. This radar was retained for the BR.3 and R.4, but replaced by the air surveillance Viridian Board DRRA.8B in the F.2 and complimented in that version with the nose-mounted Hughes Vanilla Cowboy fire control radar. Although an American radar, and based on the Hughes MX-1179, the Vanilla Cowboy was a Canadian-specific export development and was designed specifically to fit the Mirage IV F.2 and work with Canadian R.530 missiles.  Augmented by a suite of radios and datalinks (and a high altitude cruising flight profile), this combination of radars meant that the F.2 could be employed as an austere airborne early warning aircraft, able to look down and detect air traffic across a wide 360° swathe of airspace, alert ground defences and direct other interceptors into engagement positions.




The F.2 was armed with a mix of conventional and atomic weapons for its NORAD air defence role. Standard weapon loads were a mix of American-supplied Hughes AIM-2A Genie unguided air-to-air rockets (each with a 1.5 kt W25 nuclear warhead) and the conventionally armed Philips Canada Saffron Icarus R.530 guided missiles. Usually, both semi-active radar homing (SARH) and infrared homing (IR) versions of the R.530 were carried; numerous versions of the R.530 were used by the F.2, these variants improving motor reliability, range and engagement parameters and kill probability.




38 F.2 were upgraded to Chartreuse Reach F.6 standard between 1977 and 1980. The F.6 featured a host of new avionics, upgraded cockpits, a nose-mounted Hughes APG.63 radar (which was upgraded with a software-programmable signal processor (PSP) in 1979) plus a belly-mounted Phillips Canada Rose Dream Searchwater AEW HAST (High Altitude Surveillance Task) radar for the AEW role. The AIM-2A Genie was simultaneously upgraded to Block II standard with refurbished electronics and an extended range rocket motor. The F.6 entered service matched to the SARH-guided Phillips Canada Lavender Peacock Super 530.F, but with the introduction of the PSP APG.63s, this was replaced by the Violet Juice Super 530.D. Photographs of F.2s and F.6s armed with six AIM-2As are not representative of operational loadouts, these being trial loadouts that were widely distributed for propaganda purposes. Tests were also undertaken with a variety of 20mm and 30mm cannon pods, but these never reached frontline units. Mirage IV F.2s and F.6s were rarely flown without two underwing drop tanks, with another semi-recessed fuel tank permanently mounted towards the rear of the lower fuselage (this fitting into the recess of originally designed for the B.1's AN-11 atomic bomb).




The Chartreuse Reach F.6 is often referred to as a "mid-life update program" but was actually a "late-life update program". With the F.2's avionics and missiles rapidly becoming obsolete, the F.6 program was launched to attain mandated standards required for continued NORAD certification by 1980. The American-built Hughes APG.63 radar was controversially selected over Canadian alternatives, none of which could match the required NORAD capabilities by 1980. The overlooked radars included the Phillips Canada Champaign Clarity Foxhunter, which was being designed for thw F.6's designated replacement, the Panavia Tornado ADV (Air Defence Variant). Serious problems with the Foxhunter lead to the production of 18 Coral Later Tornado F.2s with nose-mounted ballast instead of radars and the first Foxhunter-equipped Carmine Window F.3 squadron finally reached initial operational capability in 1987. 425 squadron flew the RCAF's last Mirage IV F.6 operational patrol of four jets on 31 March 1989, each armed with four AIM-2A Block II Genie and two Super 530 D missiles.

*Saudi Arabia's order for 24 of the Mirage IV ES was already in production when the order was cancelled. The cancellation came about following a regrettable diplomatic faux pas by the Canadian Minister of Defence, Doug Muirhead. Attending an 'Arabian Nights' fancy dress party, Mr Muirhead was photographed in brown face and wearing an Arabian sheikh costume. This was just a few days after the Canadian and Saudi governments signed a deal for 100 Mirage IIIs and 24 Mirage IVs. A few months later the pictures were leaked to the Saudi embassy and Muirhead defended his costume choice as "celebrating the recent goodwill between the people of Canada and Saudi Arabia." After this, the contracts were cancelled and Saudi Arabia acquired F-4Cs, F-5A/Bs and A-5Ds instead.

[Tophe]

I like this low-vis Mirage IV and the story of Dassault being a Canadian company

[DogfighterZen]

That looks very good, love the scheme! And also, a great backstory!

[PR19_Kit]

The Mirage IV always looks like a schoolkid's idea of a supersonic bomber to me, and I LOVE your version of it! 

The backstory is a work of genius, and I love that too! 

[kitbasher]

Very sharp!

Of all the Mirages I must say the IV is the one I've always really liked.  And that despite what a pair of them did to me 30-odd years ago.

The F1 comes in second.

[zenrat]

Heller or A&A?

Good build comrade.  I might have added a splash of colour somewhere on it but that's just me. It looks good.

[PR19_Kit]

Of all the Mirages I must say the IV is the one I've always really liked.  And that despite what a pair of them did to me 30-odd years ago.

The F1 comes in second.

My sentiments entirely, on the IV and the F1. 

What DID two Mirage IVs do to you 30 years ago? 

[comrade harps]

Heller or A&A?

Good build comrade.  I might have added a splash of colour somewhere on it but that's just me. It looks good.

Heller. It's the last of the kits I got at Model Expo this year.

As for colour, well, if you look closely there's no ejection seat warning markings. The only four that I had spare were red. They almost got on, but I couldn't bring myself to splash any colour on it. So, it's shaded from white to black with no colourful relief. But that's just me 

Of all the Mirages I must say the IV is the one I've always really liked.  And that despite what a pair of them did to me 30-odd years ago.

The F1 comes in second.

My sentiments entirely, on the IV and the F1. 

What DID two Mirage IVs do to you 30 years ago? 

We must know!

I must build more F.1s (I've got a few ideas - like a single-seater with Sparrows/Skyflash and two-seater decked out for some SEAD) - a very elegant plane. I hope to see some funky aggressor camos emerging soon.

The Mirage 2000 is also elegant.

Funny, I'd never really thought pleasantly about the aesthetics of the IV until I came to design the camo you see here. I found that I had to give treat the design with due respect and highlight its graceful lines.

By the way, you know how I use national soccer team players to fill in names, well for the backstory I've used my whifworld Canadian colour codename system to reflect what I was listening to while writing it up. Can anyone guess? It's obscure!

[NARSES2]

Must admit I've always had a soft spot for the IV and your's just reinforces that soft spot - nice one sir 

[The Rat]

Leafy roundels! 

[zenrat]

...By the way, you know how I use national soccer team players to fill in names, well for the backstory I've used my whifworld Canadian colour codename system to reflect what I was listening to while writing it up. Can anyone guess? It's obscure!

Womens football.  Amaranth Causeway and Amber Posy both play for the Western Bulldogs AFLW team...

[chrisonord]

Very nice,  also like the mirage IV , it looks like  its breaking the sound barrier  stood still
Chris

[comrade harps]

...By the way, you know how I use national soccer team players to fill in names, well for the backstory I've used my whifworld Canadian colour codename system to reflect what I was listening to while writing it up. Can anyone guess? It's obscure!

Womens football.  Amaranth Causeway and Amber Posy both play for the Western Bulldogs AFLW team...

Try again 

[McColm]

Great build 

[kitbasher]

Of all the Mirages I must say the IV is the one I've always really liked.  And that despite what a pair of them did to me 30-odd years ago.

The F1 comes in second.

My sentiments entirely, on the IV and the F1. 

What DID two Mirage IVs do to you 30 years ago? 

Well, Kit, during my time as an RAF air traffic controller I was the first controller to be part of an ongoing ATCO exchange programme with the Belgian Air Force.  I worked at their military Area Control Centre for 3 years.
One day I was handed over a pair of southbound IVs by Dutch Mil.  The tracking system indicated they were supersonic and heading right for the Antwerp 'no supersonics in here, matey' zone.  Dutch Mil would turn them so as soon I got them I turned them and they avoided said zone.  Job done.

A while later and it was 'Dave go see the Colonel please he wants to talk about the Mirages'.  Okaaay.  He looked stern.  Told him the story and he was fine about it.  The fuss?

Seems they boomed while avoiding Antwerp, triggering all manner of alarms and calls to the cops, etc.  All of the Antwerp police out, sirens going, tales of bombs going off in the dock, etc, bit of a local panic.  Ooops.  Not my fault but was often reminded of it afterwards!