Overview
The Mirage III made Dassault world-famous. Its tailless delta wing gave it Mach 2 speed and plenty of room for fuel, and in 1958 it became the first European aircraft to reach twice the speed of sound in level flight.
Israel used it with great success in the 1967 Six-Day War, and it was exported to about 20 countries, from Australia and South Africa to Argentina and Pakistan. Pakistan still flies upgraded Mirage IIIs. Israel's Kfir was developed from it. Specifications are for the Mirage IIIE.
Specifications
Dimensions
| Length | 15.03 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 8.22 m |
| Height | 4.50 m |
| Wing area | 34.9 m² |
Weights & fuel
| Empty weight | 7,050 kg |
|---|---|
| Max. take-off weight | 13,700 kg |
Performance
| Max. speed | 2,350 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max. Mach | Mach 2.20 |
| Combat radius | 1,200 km |
| Service ceiling | 17,000 m |
| Rate of climb | 83.0 m/s |
Crew & capacity
| Crew | 1 |
|---|---|
| Hardpoints | 5 |
Powerplant
| Engines | 1 |
|---|---|
| Engine model | SNECMA Atar 09C |
| Thrust (each) | 42.0 kN |
| Thrust with afterburner (each) | 58.8 kN |
Figures are compiled from public sources and may be approximate; they can vary by variant and configuration.
Armament
- 2 × 30 mm DEFA 552 cannons
- About 4,000 kg of missiles, bombs and rockets on 5 hardpoints
Photos
Photo 1: Bob Adams from George, South Africa / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Some text and images come from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA licences.
