Super Mystere B2
| This page is about the French jet fighter Super Mystere B2. For other versions, see Mystere (Family). |
Contents
Description
The French Super Mystère B2 was designed, developed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation as a multi-role fighter-bomber, a new niche which would later encompass such aircraft as the F-105 Thunderchief and the F-4C Phantom which could not be pigeon-holed into one type of combat role. The multi-role function created a combat multiplier with just one aircraft instead of needing several specialized aircraft to do certain jobs. A last-minute change of targets could allow for weapons change or multiple types of ordnance can be carried to take on one or more roles during a combat run. The Super Mystère was the culminating aircraft in a series of four other predecessors before it. Initially starting with the Dassault Ouragan, modifications and upgrades led to the Mystère II, Mystère III and Mystère IV. The Mystère series fighters, while quick, could not reach supersonic speeds except during a dive whereas, like many of the newer aircraft of the time, the Super Mystère had swept wings which allowed it to achieve supersonic flight during level flight. The Super Mystere B2 was France's first aircraft capable of reaching supersonic speeds in level flight, which meant that it also was very attractive to other nations in the weapons market. It was exported to Israel, El Salvador and Honduras, and it helped solidify France as a major weapons producer.
It was introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On". The Super Mystere B2 can fulfil a multi-role function by either being a fighter-interceptor or a fighter-bomber. Outfitted with the afterburner, this fighter can easily become an interceptor either going after fighters or bombers. This fighter is outfitted with two 30 mm DEFA 552 autocannons as its main weapon and also can be fitted with SNEB type 23 rockets, T10 151 rockets, AA-20 Nord missiles or AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles for air to air combat. Though the rockets and missiles are not a guarantee that the enemy will be hit and go down, always be ready to follow up with the DEFA 552 as the enemy fighter will most likely be in an energy-drained situation and a relatively easy target to mop up with the autocannon.Though relatively nimble and quick when outfitted for air-to-air combat, things change when switched to ground-pounding. The speed and manoeuvrability trade-off is worth it as this fighter converted to a bomber can carry a hefty payload for an aircraft of its size. Ground-attack rockets are a good option especially with the T10 151 or SNEB type 23 to focus on attacking lighter clustered targets. For direct bomb-to-target ordnance, the aircraft has the choice of outfitting either 1,000 or 2,000 lbs of bombs, enough to do serious damage to larger ships, hardened targets and bases.
General info
Flight performance
The Super Mystere B2 is a typical middle of the road jet fighter in terms of flight performance. With its swept wings, it has a distinct advantage over earlier fighters with straight wings, however, it is surpassed by those jets which can hit or hit close to Mach 2. Modifications and upgrades from earlier Mystère fighters moulded the Super Mystere B2 into what it is, going from its swept wings and tailplanes to its strengthened wing spars all held together with titanium bolts. This aircraft is meant to go fast, meant to make high-g manoeuvres and to carry heavy payloads when required.
Outfitted with an afterburner, this fighter has decent acceleration and can achieve >Mach speed in level flight and even faster during a dive. This fighter does handle well during a dive and control stiffening does not begin until around 900 km/h and starts to become severe around 1,050 km/h. Though the wings have been reinforced for the greater weight loads, the wings can potentially shear off at around 1,265 km/h. When carrying heavier loads such as the AN-M64A1 500 lb or AN-M65A1 1,000 lb bombs the overall manoeuvrability and acceleration of this aircraft will suffer, but not as bad as some of the other contemporary fighters in a similar situation.
Due to the possibility of being attacked by faster jet fighters, it is important to try to set up the enemy to overshoot the Super Mystere B2 and one way to do that when being tailed is to reduce throttle, extend air brakes and manoeuvre to the right or left, if the chasing fighter cannot compensate to the Mystère's manoeuvres then they will zoom past, which will allow the Super Mystere B2 to retract flaps, go full throttle and target the fleeing aircraft to attempt a firing solution.
While the acceleration in this aircraft is decent, the climb rate is quite good and this fighter does have a good bit of energy retention when coming out of a dive. When manoeuvring in this fighter, it is best to make short and quick movements rather than long turning manoeuvres to help conserve energy. This aircraft has an excellent roll rate and when aerial combat fighting, the style which lends the best to the strengths of the fighter is the Boom & Zoom manoeuvres.
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 1,175 | 1,141 | 17000 | 31.8 | 33.1 | 47.4 | 47.4 | 800 |
| Upgraded | 1,209 | 1,199 | 30.4 | 31.0 | 76.1 | 61.0 | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 1,265 | 447 | 620 | 589 | 435 | ~10 | ~4 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 600 | < 610 | < 590 | - |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | ||||
| SNECMA Atar 101G2 | 1 | 7,213 kg | 264 kg/m2 | ||||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | |||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 10m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 35m fuel | ||
| 950 kg | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet | 7,822 kg | 8,361 kg | 8,934 kg | 9,244 kg | 10,490 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP) | ||||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 10m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 35m fuel | MGW |
| Stationary | 3,003 kgf | 4,148 kgf | 0.53 | 0.50 | 0.46 | 0.45 | 0.39 |
| Optimal | 3,222 kgf (600 km/h) |
4,540 kgf (600 km/h) |
0.58 | 0.54 | 0.51 | 0.49 | 0.43 |
Survivability and armour
- 14 mm steel plate - front cockpit
- 14 mm steel plate - behind the pilot's seat
- 14 mm steel plate - behind the pilot's headrest (the two 14 mm plates butt up against each other effectively providing 28 mm total or 30 mm when adjusting for constructional armour slope angle)
- 40 mm bulletproof glass in canopy windshield
The Super Mystere B2 is a fighter which is in a unique position of being in a transitional period between the end of World War II and the Vietnam Era. Still holding onto some of the facets of a WW II fighter which later fighters eliminate, this French fighter has a decent amount of armour to protect the pilot, something later jets forgo to allow for more speed and to carry more ordnance. The pilot of the Super Mystere B2 is well protected from the front with a bulletproof windscreen which due to its slope has an effective thickness of 67 mm. The huge gaping hole in the front of the aircraft sucking in copious amounts of air for the engine presents a problem, as, during head-on attacks, bullets potentially could fly right into the air intake and penetrate the cockpit with very little resistance. To combat this problem, the fighter has a 14 mm steel plate which blocks the entire front area of the cockpit area, protecting the pilot but leaving enough space for the air to get to the engine.
During attacks from behind, the pilot is again protected by two plates, one directly behind the seat and a second one behind the headrest with the combination of the two plates providing around 30 mm of protection. The rest of the critical components of the aircraft are left relatively unprotected with many fuel tanks in the wings, more in the fuselage surrounding the engine and the engine itself. When attacking this aircraft, the wings and centre fuselage provide the best areas of attack as they are most likely to hit a critical component or blow off a wing. Pilot sniping may be effective from the side, but trying to line up that shot will be difficult and the attacking pilot will have a better chance to hit the larger areas of the wings or fuselage.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Offensive armament
The Super Mystere B2 is armed with:
- 2 x 30 mm DEFA 552 cannons, chin-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
The Super Mystere B2 like many of the fighters of the time got away from machine guns and were outfitted with autocannons, in this case, 30 mm DEFA 552 cannons. Lessons learned the hard way in other aircraft resulted in the lower fuselage under where the cockpit is, but behind the air-intake to the aircraft. This resulting location provided optimal fire control as convergence is not an issue, however, the pilot must still correct for bullet drop for the 30 mm rounds. Also, exhaust gasses from the cannons were not anywhere near air intake and did not threaten to choke out the engine as happened with the Hunter F.6 or the MiG-19 fighters when their guns were fired and exhaust gasses were ingested into the air intakes. The two DEFA 552 cannons only have 150 rounds per gun which require the pilot to exercise trigger control so not to waste ammunition.
Suspended armament
The Super Mystere B2 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
| 1 | 2 | 3 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs | 1 | 1 | ||
| SECAN 63 incendiary bombs | 1 | 1 | ||
| SNEB type 23 rockets | 19 | 35 | 19 | |
| T10 151 rockets | 6 | 6 | ||
| AA-20 Nord missiles | 1 | 1 | ||
| AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles | 1 | 1 | ||
| AS-20 Nord missiles | 1 | 1 | ||
| Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 450 kg | ||||
| Default weapon presets | |
|---|---|
| |
The Super Mystere B2 was built to be a battlewagon of an aircraft, capable of fulfilling different roles as the mission dictated. This fighter has access to a multitude of both French and US armaments to round out its capabilities no matter what map it spawns on whether it is an air-to-air attack, ground-attack or both.
- Air-to-air attack
Most maps in War Thunder lend themselves to cater to air-to-air attacks, especially on domination maps with battles to control airfields. For this purpose, the Super Mystere B2 and morph into the fighter-interceptor role and pursue fighters, attackers and bombers without discrimination. Specific weapons for air-to-air combat include:
- AIM-9B Sidewinder: The AIM-9B Sidewinder is an average early generation short-range guided missile which acquires and maintains contact with its target through an IR lens on the head of the missile. While being reasonably quick, this missile lags behind compared to later guided missiles in terms of agility, this missile is not very difficult to out-manoeuvre. It should be thus used more as a utility than a weapon, to make faster enemies bleed speed which will make it easier to take them out with your 30 mm DEFA cannons.
- AA-20 Nord: The AA-20, typically regarded as a stepping stone to future missiles, had many limitations in that it requires the pilot to guide the missile to its target through a command link. The missile's movement due to its fixed wings resulted in a steady roll rate, but guidance adjustments came through the combined efforts of the control system and gyroscope. Not the easy fire-and-forget style like the Sidewinder, this missile will take some skill and much practice to master.
- Air-to-ground attack
Converting this fighter-interceptor to a fighter-bomber is as easy as changing out the suspended armament types. Options here range from using dropped munition bombs or unguided rockets, fired either singly or in salvos depending on the type.
- AS-20 Nord: The AS-20 is a modified version of the AA-20 to convert it to an Air-to-Ground missile, largely the main change was adding a larger warhead and installing an impact fuse. Limitations for this missile are the same as the AA-20 being a command guidance control missile which results in the pilot's concentration during the launch and contact with the target phase resulting in a vulnerable aircraft.
- T10 151 rockets: These are unguided 68 mm rockets which are launched from a rocket pod. Typically rockets of this size are ineffective when fired singly, this rocket should be fired in salvos where chances are increased that one or more will hit the target. Best used against lighter vehicles, anti-aircraft guns and aircraft sitting on the airfield.
- 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb: The AN-M64A1 is a good multi-purpose bomb which can have an effect on bases, but should be reserved for more hardened targets like fortified pill-boxes, medium to large tanks or vehicles which are clustered together.
- 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin-M129 bomb: The AN-M51A1 is a heavy-hitting bomb which can do some serious damage to a base or other hardened targets. Though a waste against smaller and lighter targets, it can be effective when used against clustered targets (sometimes overkill).
- Multi-use attack
In combination with the 30 mm DEFA 552 cannons, the Super Mystere B2 can be outfitted with SNEB type 23 unguided rockets which can be utilised with great effect both in the air and on the ground.
- SNEB type 23 rockets: The SNEB type 23 rockets area available in greater quantities than the T10 151's with numbers as great as 73. For air-to-air, these rockets are most effective when used against bomber aircraft as they are typically slower and a large target, perfect for a large salvo launch of type 23 rockets. When encountering lighter ground targets which are in relatively close proximity to each other large amounts of the SNEB type 23 rockets can cover large areas of ground with exploding rockets highly increasing the chances of hitting one or more targets in a single pass. These rockets can be considered an area denial weapon as when salvos are fired at an airfield, aircraft attempting to land intent on capturing the runway will most likely power up and abort the landing or risk the destruction of their aircraft.
Thanks to the many different options of suspended armaments available to this aircraft, options and roles can be mixed and matched to the pilot's desires and the map's available targets, for either air-to-air combat, ground-attack combat or a mixed-bag of both. The Super Mystere B2 can be a jack-of-all-trades and when coming up against one, the attacking pilot making assumptions may find themselves rethinking the attack when the Super Mystere B2 turns the tables.
Usage in battles
The Dassault Super Mystere B2 is the result of many years of research and development, specifically learning lessons from earlier Mystère fighters. The result is a well-rounded fighter/interceptor/bomber aircraft which will have no problems finding a role on any map to maximize its potential. Suspended weapon options for this aircraft give it the potential for air-to-air combat, ground-attack combat or even a complementary mix of both types of weapons to go after targets of opportunity both in the air and on the ground. Though not a glamorous and well-known fighter such as those from other nations, the Super Mystere B2 can be a diamond in the rough which can sneak its way up the leader board racking up destroyed aircraft, ground targets and even enemy bases.
For lack of better words, the Super Mystere B2 in air-to-air combat can be a very effective face-puncher, in that it does quite well in head-to-head attacks. When lining up a head-on attack, a short burst from the dual 30 mm cannons is enough to send an enemy jet down in flames. Though a poor position to get a lock for the AIM-9B Sidewinders, head-on attacks are the perfect opportunity to unfurl an AA-20 Nord guided missile. During head-ons, since you are already flying toward an enemy pilot, the AA-20 can be launched and guided right into the path of the incoming fighter for what is typically a destroying blow. The AIM-9B missiles should be reserved for slower aircraft such as strike aircraft, bombers and helicopters which typically cannot outmanoeuvre the missiles whereas faster fighters can break the missile lock with high-G manoeuvres. When faster fighters are on the Super Mystere B2's tail, don't forget to reduce throttle, pop air brakes, drop combat flaps and manoeuvre to one side or the other, this will make it extremely difficult for the trailing enemy fighter to get a gun/missile solution and will typically overshoot, allowing the Super Mystere B2 to raise flaps, close air brakes and increase throttle to get guns on the enemy fighter. Use this tactic only as a last resort because since the Super Mystère bleeds a lot of speed in turns, you may end up being too slow to gun the enemy down after they have overshot you. The Super Mystère cannot survive prolonged dogfights due to the low MER, but is very agile in high energy states, and can roll with ease, making it a very good plane to force an overshoot.
The Super Mystere B2 has a wide array of ground-attack ordnance and can weasel its way into a battleground to take out targets ranging from soft anti-aircraft to heavy tanks and enemy bases. SNEB type 23 rockets are small, but used en masse can wreak havoc upon ground targets especially those which are clustered quite close together. Unguided rockets can also be especially useful against enemy fighters which may be attempting to capture an airfield as unlike bullets, the rockets only need to explode close to the aircraft to inflict damage. If the pilot elects to, they can become a fighter-bomber heavy mover and carry up to 2,000 lbs of bombs allowing for severe damage to be inflicted to heavier targets and bases. The pair of AS-20 Nord missiles are devastating to enemy ground vehicles and with their heavy payload and the overpressure mechanic, a direct hit isn't always necessary. They are guided with keyboard controls so you must be very accurate, as you have only 2 of these. The pilot needs to be aware that carrying the heavier ordnance will impact the aircraft's manoeuvrability and flight characteristics until the ordnance is released.
Being a middle-of-the-road fighter, the Super Mystere B2 cannot take any other fighters for granted. Many enemy fighters will have a speed advantage and will be able to run circles around it, however, the Mystère must learn to drastically reduce its speed a times to force overshoots of both aircraft and missiles, however, they must be ready to counter the enemy or else they will just try to chase them down again. Though the Super Mystere B2 may have a speed advantage over earlier fighters, that is no need to become complacent, the slower fighters can attempt the same strategy as the Mystère when going against faster aircraft and position for an overshoot, forcing the Super Mystere B2 out front and within gun range. The Super Mystere B2 is susceptible to missile fire (especially AIM-9 Sidewinders) and for Boom & Zoom fighters which seem to swoop in from out of nowhere to claim a victim. The critical thing for a Super Mystere B2 pilot to do is to maintain their situational awareness, keep their speed up and look for targets of opportunity.
Radars
The Super Mystere B2 is equipped with an AN/APG-30 rangefinding radar, located in the nose of the aircraft. It will automatically detect other planes within the scanning area and display the range to the closest target. It is linked with a gyro gunsight and can help with aiming at close range.
| AN/APG-30 - Rangefinding radar | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Tracking Range |
Minimum Tracking Range |
Azimuth Tracking Angle |
Elevation Tracking Angle |
| 2,750 m | 300 m | ±9° | ±9° |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Faster in level flight than a majority of similar rank aircraft
- Afterburner provides superior high-speed acceleration compared to many of its peers
- Good armament and a wide range of ordnance options
- Good pilot protection
- Has a drogue chute to aid braking when landing
- SNEB Type 23 rockets launch from the middle fuselage, providing accurate aim even when fired from further distances from the target
Cons:
- Poor vertical energy retention
- Cannot reach Mach 1 in level flight below 6,000 m (19,700 ft)
- Mediocre low-speed acceleration even with afterburner
- Lacklustre stock performance
- 15-meter proximity fuse on the AA-20 missiles will sometimes result in no damage hits
- Faces faster opponents when uptiered
History
The Super Mystere B2 is a variant of the Dassault Super Mystère, the first supersonic aircraft in Western Europe to reach serial production. The aircraft was a development upon the previous MD.454 Mystère IV, featuring numerous improvements including a more powerful engine and a larger wing sweep. The Super Mystère began entering service in the late 1950s and served as the primary French fighter-bomber; the Super Mystère would remain in service until the late 1970s.
The Super Mystère represents the final evolution of the Dassault Ouragan / Mystère family which began with the first flight of the Ouragan prototype in early 1949. Compared to the previous Mystère IV, the Super Mystère included numerous improvements: notably, the wing sweep was increased to 45 degrees (compared to the Mystère IV's 41 degree sweep), and the installation of a new afterburning engine. The first Super Mystère prototype flew on March 2nd, 1954, and broke the sound barrier the following day.
In 1957, the Super Mystère entered service as the Super Mystère B.2: the main change compared to the prototypes was the fitting of a new, more powerful SNECMA Atar 101G engine. In total, 180 Super Mystère B2s would be built, serving as the primary French fighter-bomber & attack aircraft until the late 1970s. Additionally, 24 Super Mystères were sold to Israel in 1958. These aircraft would fight in the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War, and some of the aircraft would be sold to Honduras in the late 1970s.
Devblog
The Super Mystère was the final aircraft of the Mystère family of jet fighters, whose development history began with the creation of the Dassault Ouragan in the late 1940s. Featuring a modified design over the preceding Mystère 4 and being fitted with the new Rolls-Royce Avon afterburning turbojet engine, the resulting Super Mystère B.1 prototype became the first French supersonic jet fighter after conducting its maiden flight in March 1955.
Following the successful maiden flight of the prototype of the Super Mystère, a more refined production version of the machine was created shortly afterwards. Known as the Super Mystère B.2, the production version of the aircraft featured the SNECMA Atar 101G engine, compared to the Rolls-Royce Avon found on the prototype.
The Super Mystère B.2 entered production in 1956, with an initial contract for 150 aircraft being signed. By the end of production in 1959, around 180 Super Mystère B.2s were built out of a planned 370 units.
Entering service with the French Air Force in 1957, the Super Mystère B.2 served with French units for a good two decades before being replaced by newer and more advanced machines. Apart from its own forces, the Super Mystère B.2 was also exported and used by foreign operators. Most notably, Israel fielded some 24 Super Mystères, which had successfully proven themselves in action during the Six-Day and Yom-Kippur wars.
As the Super Mystère was slowly being phased out of French and Israeli service, Israel sold around a dozen of its Super Mystères to Honduras. In service with Honduras, the Super Mystères undertook their final missions as part of actions against Nicaraguan forces during border skirmishes before being ultimately decommissioned in 1996.
Media
- Skins
- Images
- Videos
See also
- ␙Super Mystere B2 - (YouTube Cup 2019 prize)
- Contemporary fighters
External links
- [Devblog] Super Mystère B.2: Over the Barrier
- Official data sheet - more details about the performance
- Dassault Aviation. (n.d.). Super Mystère: origins, characteristics and performance data. Retrieved October 2019, from Dassault military aircraft - Super Mystere.
| Dassault Aviation | |
|---|---|
| WW2* | |
| Fighters | M.B.152C1 · M.B.157 |
| Bombers | M.B.162 · M.B.174A-3 · M.B.175T |
| Jet Aircraft | |
| M.D 450 | M.D.450B Barougan · M.D.450B Ouragan |
| Mystère | M.D.452 IIA · M.D.452 IIC · Mystere IVA |
| Super Mystère | Super Mystere B2 |
| Étendard | Etendard IVM |
| Super Étendard | Super Etendard |
| Alpha Jet | Alpha Jet E** |
| Mirage | |
| Mirage III | Mirage IIIC · Mirage IIIE · Milan |
| Mirage V | Mirage 5F |
| Mirage F1 | Mirage F1C · Mirage F1C-200 · Mirage F1CT |
| Mirage 2000 | Mirage 2000-5F · Mirage 2000C-S4 · Mirage 2000C-S5 · Mirage 2000D-R1 |
| Mirage 4000 | Mirage 4000 |
| Export | |
| M.D 450 | M.D.450B Ouragan |
| Mystere | Mystere IVA |
| Super Mystère | Sambad · Sa'ar*** |
| Mirage | Shahak · ▄Mirage 5BA |
| *The company was named "Société des Avions Marcel Bloch" before being renamed in 1947 | |
| **Jointly manufactured with Dornier Flugzeugwerke | |
| ***Israeli Super Mystère refitted with new avionics and an American engine | |
| See also | SABCA |
| France jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | M.D.450B Ouragan · M.D.450B Barougan · M.D.452 IIA · M.D.452 IIC · Mystere IVA · Super Mystere B2 |
| ▄F-86K · ▄F-100D · ▄F-8E(FN) | |
| Mirage IIIC · Mirage IIIE · Milan · Mirage 5F · Mirage 2000C-S4 · Mirage 2000C-S5 · Mirage 2000-5F · Mirage 4000 | |
| Mirage F1C · Mirage F1C-200 · Mirage F1CT | |
| Strike aircraft | ▄F-84F · F-84F IAF · ▄F-84G-26-RE |
| Etendard IVM · Super Etendard · Alpha Jet E | |
| Jaguar A · Jaguar E · Mirage 2000D-R1 | |
| Bombers | S.O.4050 Vautour IIA · Vautour IIA IDF/AF · S.O.4050 Vautour IIB · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN (late) |
| Belgium | ▄Meteor F Mk.8 · ▄Mirage 5BA · ▄F-104G · ▄F-16A · ▄F-16AM |
| Netherlands | ◘Sea Hawk Mk.50 · ◘Hunter F.6 |
