Perfect for use in games and simulation projects. The MD 550 Mirage did not go to mass production, but the studies carried out on the delta wing led to the development of the Dassault Mirage III , the first aircraft of the Mirage family to enter service. The origin of the project of this small delta wing fighter originates from a specification of the Armée de l'Air of 1954 for an all-weather light interceptor fighter, capable of reaching an altitude of 18,000 m in 6 minutes and capable of to reach Mach 1.3 in horizontal flight.
The original designation of the project was Mystère-Delta 550 and included a small plane with a delta wing propelled by two turbojets Armstrong Siddeley Viper MD30R with afterburner , each with a thrust of 9.61 kN. The delta wing had an angle of 60 degrees and a chord of 5%. The choice of the delta wing brought advantages and disadvantages. It allows high speed in straight line flight, ensuring good strength and space for fuel storage in wing tanks. On the other hand, the absence of horizontal stabilizers forces this type of aircraft to long take-off runs and high landing speeds . It also affects the mobility of the aircraft.
The first prototype, renamed MD 550 Mirage , flew for the first time on June 25, 1955 , without afterburners. It initially featured a long delta vertical tail, similar to that already adopted by the US firm Convair for its XF-92 . Subsequently the tail was replaced with a more classic arrow tail rudder, afterburners were installed to the two Viper MD 30R engines and a SEPR 66 liquid fuel auxiliary rocket engine was added . In this configuration the aircraft flew again on December 17, 1955 , reaching Mach 1.3.
However, the MD 550 Mirage was too small to carry a war load, eventually it could have only one air-to-air missile and therefore the development of the aircraft was soon stopped for a slightly larger version, designated Mirage II , and equipped with a pair of Turbomeca Gabizo engines . The Mirage II did not go beyond the design phase, as Dassault preferred to devote themselves to a more promising project, the Mirage III . The aircraft retained the delta configuration, but adopted a new and larger redesigned fuselage . The Mirage III, which first flew on November 17, 1956 it was about 30% heavier than the MD 550 Mirage.
The MD 550-01 is renamed Mirage I and the MD 550-02 is renamed Mirage II .Formats include: OBJ, FBX. Feel free to check out the other models, just click on the user name to see the complete portfolio.
