Mirage IV (Wallpaper 4) aircraft photo gallery | AirSkyBuster

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Mirage IV (Wallpaper 4). Photo wallpaper gallery of Mirage IV supersonic strategic bomber aircraft 4. Mirage IV supersonic strategic bomber aircraft pictures and images collection 4. The decision to acquire a nuclear strike capability would lead the French to eventually develop land-based and submarine-based missiles, and a strategic bomber, the Mirage IV, with work on the aircraft begun in 1957. Dassault met the French government requirement for a strategic bomber by scaling up the Mirage III 50% in linear dimensions, doubling weight and wing area. The prototype Mirage IV first flew in June 1959, and was fitted with twin Atar 09C engines. The second prototype flew in October 1961, after the French had detonated their first nuclear weapon in February 1960, and was closer to production spec, with a shorter vertical tailplane. There were two more prototypes, the last of which used the production-spec Atar 09K engine, with 4,700 kilograms (10,400 pounds) dry thrust and 6,700 kilograms (14,800 pounds) afterburning thrust. A total of 62 Mirage IVs were built between December 1963 and November 1966. Photo wallpaper gallery of Mirage IV supersonic strategic bomber aircraft 4. Mirage IV supersonic strategic bomber aircraft pictures and images collection 4. Except for the twin engines, the general configuration of the aircraft strongly resembled that of the Mirage III. Less noticeable differences were the tandem cockpit for pilot and navigator, and main gear bogeys with four tires each. The nose gear had two tires. Despite the fact that the Mirage IV had no bomb-bay, was crammed full of fuel tanks, and was also generally fitted with twin 2,500-liter (660 US gallon) drop tanks, its range for its assigned mission, penetrating Soviet airspace, was still marginal. The French expected to acquire a more formidable bomber later, but eventually gave up on developing a follow-on and settled for a fleet of 12 Boeing KC-135F tankers to give the Mirage IV a chance to get back home after destroying its target. The bomber's long needle nose was actually a midair-refueling probe. There was a circular radome on the belly of the aircraft, just behind the air intakes. There were two stores pylons on each wing, with the inner one normally used for a drop tank and the outer one used for a flare dispenser or other countermeasures gear. The weapon for which the Mirage IV was designed, the 60 kilotonne "AN-22" nuclear weapon, fit into a recess in the fuselage. This weapon was modified after late 1967 to be parachute-retarded, when it was realized that the Mirage IV could not expect to penetrate Soviet airspace at high altitude. Photo wallpaper gallery of Mirage IV supersonic strategic bomber aircraft 4. Mirage IV supersonic strategic bomber aircraft pictures and images collection 4.