Burmese HAL Mirage J79C.1

comrade harps · December 27, 2021, 04:01:14 AM

HAL Mirage J79C.1
a/c 829, 8 Squadron, Taungoo AB, Burma, Burmese Air Force, July 1972
Personal mount of Squadron Leader Myo Hlaing Win

As it was receiving 101 Mirage IIICH/BH/RHs - with H standing for "Hindustan" - (in Indian Air Force service as Baagh F.1/T.2/R.3) from Dassault Canada, the Indian government instructed HAL to enter into a license manufacturing deal for additional Mirages. The initial result of this program was the construction of 90 Mirage IIIEH (Baagh FGA.4) fighter-bombers and 35 Mirage IIIDH trainers (Baagh T.5). With the Indian Air Force seeking a simpler and cheaper version with more fuel, HAL cooperated with Dassault on the design of the Mirage 5 series. Following Mirage IIIEH/DH production, HAL built 80 Mirage 5s (confusingly referred to by Dassault as the Mirage 5IN, to HAL as the Mirage 5H and to the Indian Air Force as the Baagh FGA.6) in 1966-67, 50 of which were sold to Iraq in the late 1970s (officially as the Mirage 5IN).

From 1961 onwards, Dassault proposed, designed, built and tested several versions of the Mirage III with alternative engines to the type's Orenda ATAR 9. One of these prototypes featured the General Electric J79, flying as the Mirage J79 in 1962; in 1965 this aircraft was modified with small canards as the Mirage J79C. This attracted the attention of the Indian Air Force as it started procurement of the similarly powered F-4E Phantom II. In 1966, it was announced that HAL would produce the Mirage J79C as the Mirage J79C.1/Baagh FGA.7.

Quickly superseded on the production line by the Mirage J79C.2 (Baagh FGA.8 ) with bigger canards and dogtooth leading edges on the wings, only 72 J78C.1s were built, of which 40 were exported to Burma in 1968-69. As there was no trainer version of the Mirage J79 at this time, all Burmese conversion training requiring a two-seater was undertaken in India on the Mirage IIIBH. When the two-seat Mirage J79CT.2 (Baagh T.9 in Indian service) became available, Burma acquired 4 in 1975. In the 1990s, 36 survivors and additional airframes from India were upgraded to J79C.4 /TC.4 (Baagh FGR.13/T.14) standard, with bigger canards, new J79 engines and digital avionics, glass cockpit, APG-66 radar and Litening II pods.

During the 1972 UN invasion of North Vietnam (Operation Half-Back Flanker), fighting invariably overflowed into Burma. Reds and the UN alike used Burmese territory and airspace as transit corridors to the fighting in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. As a loyal UN member, it was the role of Burma to attack Red incursions and defend UN activities within its territory. While BAF F-5As attacked Red ground forces, the Mirages engaged Red fighters and bombers that crossed the border.

Few details of BAF aerial activities have been released by Burmese sources. However, UN documents give a good account of their actions. From them, we learn that this aircraft was credited with shooting down a Chinese J-6 Fluffy J on 10 June 1972, a Socialist Union Brewer C bomber on the 15th and another Chinese Fluffy J on the 21st. The first two kills were claimed using the AIM-9E Sidewinder, with the third falling to cannon. The pilot in all cases was Squadron Leader Myo Hlaing Win and his Mirage J79C.1 is here is seen as it was photographed at some point between his 2nd and 3rd kills.

Dizzyfugu · December 27, 2021, 05:08:27 AM

Odd, but being a Kfir addict I really like it.

The Italeri F-21/Kfir C.1 with extra underwing tanks and ifferent AAMs, I assume?

comrade harps · December 27, 2021, 05:33:30 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on December 27, 2021, 05:08:27 AM
The Italeri F-21/Kfir C.1 with extra underwing tanks and different AAMs, I assume?

Yep. l've got quite a spares box just of Mirage/Kfir spare tanks and stuff. AIM-9Es from the Hasegawa US air to air missile set.

NARSES2 · December 27, 2021, 06:17:21 AM

Looks good

Wardukw · December 27, 2021, 10:53:27 AM

I do like the Mirage family and i like this one

comrade harps · December 27, 2021, 05:06:10 PM

Quote from: Wardukw-NZ on December 27, 2021, 10:53:27 AM
I do like the Mirage family and i like this one

I must also like the Mirage family: it's the 3rd I've made this year.

philp · December 27, 2021, 05:20:22 PM

Nice build and nice story.

Wardukw · December 27, 2021, 10:28:56 PM

Nothing wrong with that Comrade mate...with a bird that looks like these Mirages do ..yeah i can see why..theres a huge amount of ideas for these planes and hell its even got my brain working..slowly mind you

To this day i still want another Mirage 2000 like the old Monogram one i had.

Tophe · December 28, 2021, 11:57:17 AM

I like this extra addition to the Mirage delta family, like a Kfir C2 with smaller canards.
Great!
I think I will try to draw it for my Mirage-5 drawings CGI topic, thanks for the inspiration!

comrade harps · December 28, 2021, 06:22:04 PM

Quote from: Tophe on December 28, 2021, 11:57:17 AM
I like this extra addition to the Mirage delta family, like a Kfir C2 with smaller canards.
Great!
I think I will try to draw it for my Mirage-5 drawings CGI topic, thanks for the inspiration!

Not my invention: the camo and backstory are, but the model aircraft itself is straight out of the box from the Italeri Kfir C.1/F.21A kit. The C.1 as originally built lacked canards, but small canards were added as part of an upgrade. All real world stuff.

In playing with the Mirage III/5/50/Kfir story, l'm wanting to mix the real with the fanciful and build a series of derivatives. The next steps are likely to be a two seater (maybe one with the long Israeli snout) and a recce bird. We'll see how it goes.

Thank you for the appreciation.

Tophe · December 28, 2021, 09:08:28 PM

Quote from: comrade harps on December 28, 2021, 06:22:04 PM
Quote from: Tophe on December 28, 2021, 11:57:17 AM
I like this extra addition to the Mirage delta family, like a Kfir C2 with smaller canards.
Great!
I think I will try to draw it for my Mirage-5 drawings CGI topic, thanks for the inspiration!
Not my invention: the camo and backstory are, but the model aircraft itself is straight out of the box from the Italeri Kfir C.1/F.21A kit. The C.1 as originally built lacked canards, but small canards were added as part of an upgrade. All real world stuff.

Thanks for the explanation, correcting my ignorance. Well, so my drawing may be a Mirage 5 (Atar-powered) with those small canards of updated Kfir C.1 that I did not know. This will be an addition to the family anyway, thanks to have make it clear.

Tophe · December 28, 2021, 09:35:08 PM

I have made the drawing and posted it at the temporary end of https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=10054.210
Thanks again comrade harps!

Dizzyfugu · December 30, 2021, 04:02:09 AM

A late question concerning the ingredients: where did the Myanmar markings come from? A kit or a decal sheet?

KiwiZac · December 30, 2021, 06:48:18 PM

I always enjoy seeing builds of Burmese/Myanmar aircraft and this is simply gorgeous! I love that camo on a Mirage shape.

comrade harps · December 30, 2021, 07:15:42 PM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on December 30, 2021, 04:02:09 AM
A late question concerning the ingredients: where did the Myanmar markings come from? A kit or a decal sheet?

The Burmese decals are from the YuMo Soko G-4 Super Galeb kit: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/yumo-a-001-g-4-super-galeb--147677

I eeked them out over 2 models, as some were also used on the Yalga: https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=43944.msg773115#msg773115