Mirage F1C
This page is about the French jet fighter Mirage F1C. For other versions, see Mirage F1 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Mirage F1C was a result of an experiment, when a smaller swept wing design of the Mirage outfitted with the latest and more powerful SNECMA Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine garnered the interest of Dassault engineers as a possible future replacement to the existing Mirage III and Mirage 5 fighters. Dassault began conducting further design work under the official name Mirage F1 as part of a private venture. In late 1966, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight and the initial test results were positive. Shortly after the French Air Force expressed interest in the aircraft and adopted the development program. Entering official service with the French Air Force in March 1974, the Mirage F1 took part in their first combat operations a decade later flying sorties against insurgent forces in Chad. Mirage F1s also took part in French operations during the Gulf War in 1990. It was also operated by several countries like Spain, Morocco, Qatar, and Iraq.
It was introduced in Update "Wind of Change". The Mirage F1C has relatively mediocre flight performance, it is able to pull high G manoeuvres at high speeds but the airframe is not suited for high angle of attack manoeuvres. However, the wing design does allow the Mirage F1C to retain energy relatively well. The armament is nothing special, you do have access to 2 x Matra Magic 2 air-to-air missiles that are very hard to flare since they use IRCCM, however the other missiles may seem mediocre for a top tier jet. Thus, the F1 is better suited for a support role, using your heavy long-range missiles to attack enemies at high altitudes or surprising them from long ranges, specially with the IR guided missiles, since the Mirage F1's radar is not consistently capable of acquiring targets at low altitudes.
General info
Flight performance
Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 12,000 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
Stock | 2,156 | 2,118 | 16000 | 28.3 | 28.8 | 128.6 | 122.6 | 750 |
Upgraded | 2,300 | 2,228 | 26.2 | 27.0 | 183.9 | 155.0 |
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 | + | - | ||
1,457 | 444 | 575 | 549 | 416 | ~11 | ~5 |
Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
< 650 | < 800 | < 900 | - |
Engine performance
Engine | Aircraft mass | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | ||||
SNECMA Atar 9K-50 | 1 | 8,036 kg | 458 kg/m2 | ||||
Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | |||||
Weight (each) | Type | 13m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 44m fuel | ||
1,590 kg | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet | 9,058 kg | 9,581 kg | 10,354 kg | 11,443 kg | 15,672 kg | |
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP) | ||||||
Condition | 100% | WEP | 13m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 44m fuel | MGW |
Stationary | 4,890 kgf | 6,801 kgf | 0.75 | 0.71 | 0.66 | 0.59 | 0.43 |
Optimal | 5,917 kgf (1,200 - 1,400 km/h) |
9,875 kgf (1,200 km/h) |
1.09 | 1.03 | 0.95 | 0.86 | 0.63 |
Survivability and armour
Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Ballistic Computer | |||
---|---|---|---|
CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) |
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Offensive armament
The Mirage F1C is armed with:
- A choice between two presets:
- 2 x 30 mm DEFA 553 cannons, belly-mounted (135 rpg = 270 total)
- 2 x 30 mm DEFA 553 cannons + 252 x countermeasures
Suspended armament
The Mirage F1C can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 mm DEFA 553 cannons (180 rpg) | 1 | 1 | ||||||
250 kg SAMP Type 25 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
250 kg SAMP Type 25 200 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
400 kg SAMP Type 21 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
400 kg SAMP Type 21 200 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
500 lb SAMP Mk 82 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
1,000 lb SAMP Mk 83 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
2,000 lb SAMP Mk 84 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
SNEB type 23 rockets | 18, 36 | 18, 36 | 18, 36 | 18, 36 | ||||
Matra R530 missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Matra R530E missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Matra R550 Magic 2 missiles | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Matra Super 530F missiles | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 500 kg |
Default weapon presets | |
---|---|
|
Usage in battles
The most effective way of using the Mirage F1C in Air Realistic battles is to play a support role. Try to stay behind your team and target slow and distracted enemies using the powerful air-to-air missiles. Considering the poor top speed and manoeuvrability of the Mirage F1C, it doesn't stand much chance in duels against most enemies, even against uptiered fighters.
The F1C also makes a surprisingly good strike aircraft due to its ability to carry larger bombs compared to its ground-striking peers such as the Mirage 5F or even the Jaguar.
Enemies worth noting:
Every fighter at the BR is a threat for the Mirage F1C because of its slow acceleration and bad elevator and rudder response. Any opposing fighter will outmanoeuvre you.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Availability of Matra Super 530F and R550 Magic 2 air-to-air missiles
- The Cyrano-IV allows low altitude Pulse-Doppler (MTI) and ACM, an upgrade from the previous Mirages (IIIE & IIIC)
- 252 countermeasures
- Decent acceleration at higher speeds
Cons:
- Very slow acceleration with ordnance
- Poor manoeuvrability at low and high speeds with only "workable" agility at mid speeds
- The Matra Super 530F missiles are very heavy and strongly impact flight performance
- 30 mm DEFA cannons are difficult to use, particularly against high-speed targets
History
Devblog
In the early 1960s, Dassault Aviation was conducting intense design studies on the basis of the Mirage, resulting in a number of different variations of the aircraft emerging. Among them, a smaller swept wing design of the Mirage outfitted with the latest and more powerful SNECMA Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine garnered the interest of Dassault engineers as a possible future replacement to the existing Mirage III and Mirage 5 fighters.
Confident in the design, Dassault began conducting further design work under the official name Mirage F1 as part of a private venture. In late 1966, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight and the initial test results proved to be rather positive. In late 1966, the French Air Force also expressed interest in the aircraft and officially adopted the development programme. Subsequently, the Air Force ordered a small batch of pre-production aircraft to be built in April 1967. After Dassault persuaded the Air Force to accept the Mirage F1 into service in order to make the aircraft also marketable to foreign operators, the first production order for the aircraft was issued in 1969.
Entering official service with the French Air Force in March 1974, the Mirage F1 took part in their first combat operations a decade later flying sorties against insurgent forces in Chad. Mirage F1s also took part in French operations during the Gulf War in 1990. In the late 2000s, French Mirage F1s also supported international forces during operations in Afghanistan.
Apart from France, several other nations such as Greece, Spain, South Africa, Qatar, Iraq, Morocco, and many others, operated variants of the Mirage F1.
Media
- Skins
- Images
- Videos
See also
- Related development
External links
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 | ◘Hunter F.6 |