Dassault Milan - the Moustachioed Gaul

When the Swiss wanted an improved fighter bomber that could operate better in amongst mountain valleys, Dassault came up with an unusual idea.
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[@bentilbury2002]

If anyone was wondering (as I was!) why the French would name a warplane (and also a missile system I think?) after an Italian city, Milan is French for kite, as in the bird of prey. You learn something new every day...

[@eliane2743]

The missile is an ATGM and in this case the name MILAN is an acronym (Missile d’Infanterie Léger Antichar NATO)… and the fact the acronym matches the name of the bird of prey reflects a then common fad of the French weapon industry to find out acronyms with a plain meaning, like the name of an animal or a Greek god for example.

[@babboon5764]

Whilst in WW2 RAF Aircrew widely refered to their aeroplanes as ........ kites.

[@MrMultiWombat]

I always thought it was because of the bird haha

[@danap.235]

@@babboon5764 im glad for your comment. I had always thought that term kite as used by RAF ground crews was a derogatory one. When actually the word kite is a term of admiration as expressed by RAF ground crews. "Shake hands" thank you!!

[@chibani-]

Well the british developped the "Charlemagne" tank which i don't understand why either

[@daisho13]

Almost as pretty as the 4000. Dassault had such a run of beautiful planes.

[@Farweasel]

A tradition alive, well and continuing with the Rafael. Saw one at Riat. lovely thing.

[@haaxeu6501]

they still do

[@calimdonmorgul7206]

I always thougth the 4000 looks a little disproportional aethetically.

[@glennpettersson9002]

Australia operated the Mirage III and I recall that they developed stress fractures in the wings. It was an early if not the first application of carbon fiber as a repair material on high speed jets. I did get to see a Mirage take off after an airshow at HMAS Albatross, down the length of the runway and then straight up until the glow of the afterburner was a faint dot in what must have been close to outer space. Well, really really high anyway 😁

[@user-cs3qh1uv5y]

HMAS albatross is peak

[@mattheweagles5123]

The late 60's, where even the aircraft had moustaches.

[@Pouncer9000]

Also flared wheel pants and horn rimmed windscreens

[@Jester-Riddle]

They were to replace the failing ubiquity of moustaches on the pilots ...

[@Zorglub1966]

Systemic moustachism is still present in aerospace world.

[@gryph01]

@@Pouncer9000 You beat me too it. I was going to add bell bottoms to the comments

[@bradhafichuk]

One of the most beautiful planes ever made.

[@babboon5764]

Looks a lot like a Super Étendard

[@CaptainLumpyDog]

It wishes it was as beautiful as the Convair B-58 😉

[@Jester-Riddle]

That's a matter of personal opinion ...

[@tri3852]

@@CaptainLumpyDog In your dreams! 😁 But yes the, B 58 is most definitely a magnifcent bird.

[@gunner678]

I still regularly see the mirage 2000 flying over my house every week. Beautiful aircraft.

[@rooseveltbrentwood9654]

what country are you in?

[@aaronlopez3585]

The Dassault Milan is one the most beautiful designs I've ever seen. Reminds me when I was young and drove the most beautiful car ever, a burgundy 1988 XJS convertible ♥️. Thanks Ed.

[@felixtheswiss]

Well interesting I did not know about that. And I know a bit about our birds. The IIIS with start boosters and high altitude rocket boosters were a treat. The swiss later upgraded the IIIS with canards but without a new engine.

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

Swiss loved the Hawk too, could dart through those Alp mountain peaks and nothing could keep up with them, at MACH 0.7, ask Marc. I used to service his aerobatic twin gyro afcs boxes, for fast reaction in there. 😉😎🇨🇭

[@Riccardo_Silva]

Small, light, beautiful and damn good and effective. The Mirage was the Spitfire of the Cold war.

[@Kenjis9965]

I find it amazing those little front canards did all that. The mirage series are gorgeous planes though

[@MrDino1953]

It sounds like the Swiss were real pain in the ass customers. Demanding major re-designs to fill rather small orders only to back away from purchase at the end.

[@mathewkelly9968]

Thats pretty much par for the course for defence procurements. Here in Australia we almost went for a diesel version of a yet to be built French Nuclear submarines. We also got Boeing to develop an AEW aircraft and ordered 6 see the E-7A Wedgetail

[@paulkirkland3263]

You never fail to produce interesting videos.

[@johndavey72]

As always Ed. Very concise and accurate! Thankyou .

[@stay_at_home_astronaut]

Good video. All delta winged aircraft need a canard/foreplane of some sort. A retractable one keeps the super-sexy lines of the pure delta intact.

[@stephenrickstrew7237]

Something about the delta wing .. or the cropped delta… or the new stealth style delta- ish wing and just love that folding canard …!

[@jroch41]

Another brilliant video by Mr Nash.

[@mikepette4422]

mIrage 50 ? ok I've not heard of that development...that's why I like this channel. Well done and keep it up

[@anuvisraa5786]

the mirage 50 is almos a famili on there on

[@jean-martinvonsiebenthal2836]

Speaking of our Swiss Mirages, it would be interesting to dig into their modernizations. The ones I last saw flying and now are on display all sport canards. The little I found says they were updated by RUAG, but I got wondering wether there had been Israeli input or not.

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

I actually wonder if it was, ironically, elements from the mirage 50 program!

[@felixtheswiss]

@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters To search for it. The programe was called Mirage III KAWEST Kampfwertsteigerung "battle factor upgrade" or somesuch

[@dwwolf4636]

Literally : battle value upgrade. Better : Combat power upgrade.

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

👍👍 The best as always. Many thanx.

[@oneshotme]

Enjoyed your video so I gave it a Thumbs Up as a support

[@einautofan6685]

Basically it's a simple delta wing fighter! Simple but effective and beautiful! Look at all deltawings of the past and present! F-102/106, all kind of Mirage / Kfir, Fairy Delta, Saab Draken or Viggen, even the Gripen showed Saab still stick (more or less) to the Delta Wing Concept... What I think: Delta wings / Flying wings, like many modern UCAV Drones too, are the ultimate form for military jets!

[@martinmumenthaler3665]

A great Video. By the way, the F5E weren't orderd as an fighter bomber. They were udes as a supplement fighter for the mirage 3. For the fighter bomber role the swiss boght some additional refreshed hawker hunters.

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

Thanks. Great vid as ever.

[@yes_head]

Wow -- hard to believe the Mirage or A-7 were *that* expensive in the early 1970s. Enough so that the Swiss had to settle for the lowly F-5. They must have been REALLY hard up for cash (although as I recall, the oil crisis of the early 70s put a serious hurt on many nations' economies.)

[@SandsOfArrakis]

They flew the Hunter well into the 90's and the F5 still sees action.

[@watcherzero5256]

French manage to keep their aircraft prices down because theyve received continual minor updates so the early development work was already paid off, many versions of the Mirage over a 20 year period and the Rafale benefitted from being a sister to the Eurofighter (6 years of co-development work before projects diverged) then again continually receiving minor updates.

[@quakethedoombringer]

@@watcherzero5256 the Rafale also benefits from the engineers learning all the necessary info from the Mirage 4000 project

[@watcherzero5256]

@@quakethedoombringer The failed two engine version of the Mirage 2000 that Dassault was trying to position as a Tornado competitor during the 70's? I guess it did provide some experience with twin engines.

[@littlebritain64]

Italian Army former rifleman here. In 1985 we had a Milan anti-tank weapon system...😄

[@Charlesputnam-bn9zy]

Can you make a video on the Swiss jet fighter FFA P-16 ? Thank you.

[@robbabcock_]

Very cool plane!

[@mpersad]

Another top video Ed!

[@mansurazeez2229]

The Tupolev Tu-144 "Concordski" also had retractable moustache!

[@carlosmoyna]

Cool image of the Brazilian Air Force Mirage III!

[@jb6027]

Excellent!

[@robandcheryls]

We were used as a “practice dummy” for the Suisse, on our way to Croatia, pretty cool for an Army guy.

[@Glasher1]

0.15 As always, another great video. I may have it wrong but isn't it's role description a bit redundant though? Stating it's high rated reputation, listing it's different platform roles then adding how it being a formidable multiple role platform. Just a narration observation. 8 )

[@cdl0]

Does the concept of not being able to afford something actually exist in Switzerland?

[@bigblue6917]

You'd think not. Especially with the latest revelations about one of its banks.

[@Anmeteor9663]

For the average Swiss citizen it certainly is a concept they live with all the time. The idea that all Swiss are wealthy is an urban myth promoted by the rich classes and government. (Mostly the same)

[@chibani-]

@@Anmeteor9663ie: the Tessin region of Switzerland

[@Jester-Riddle]

Only to those that aren't in banking ...

[@mitchellreece3711]

Your videos are great

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Thanks!

[@stevenhoman2253]

We used them in the RAAF in its day. A very beautiful and sleek aircraft even on the ground. What came as a shock to me, was its miniscule size. I spoke with a former Mirage pilot, and he was short and skinny. I suspect I was too big to fit?

[@rich7787]

Delta wings are so pretty, they just look right

[@Tigershark_3082]

While I love the Mirage, very few can beat the Kfir, in my eyes

[@leneanderthalien]

basicaly is the Kfir a Mirage 5 : France did secretly transmitt the blueprints to Israël after the UN embargo, because Israël had payd a large part from the undelivered Mirage 5

[@Tigershark_3082]

@@leneanderthalien I know, but it's still a unique variant, with enough differences to really be considered a different plane

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

See also the Sepecat Jaguar, undercarriage designed strong to land on British ploughed potato fields, after all the runways had been taken out by the odd local strike nuclear bomb, or two.....

[@rafaelgadret]

Awesome video! Ok

[@2uiator325]

You should consider making a video covering the Romanian IAR 80, which fought during the Axis invasion of Russia and against USAAF P-38s and B-24s over Ploiesti.

[@TheZenbmx]

For the sake of completion, you should do a video on the Mirage 3 NG.

[@chonqmonk]

Handsome birds!

[@ericswain70]

Something about Frenchie's planes....They look great.

[@Afro408]

Very interesting new plane for me. 😎 Try pronouncing the name company as Dass-o. 👍😁

[@macjim]

If memory serves me, wasn't there a variant of the mirage built/developed by the Israelis? I vaguely remember an aircraft called the Kfir which had canards on the nose too... What about covering the bomber variant of the mirage, the much larger aircraft than the fighter?

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Funny you should say that! I was literally Enny meany minny moeing between doing the Mirage iv and the Milan.

[@leonardmiyata482]

The Israel development was the Kfir with the fixed canards located behind the pilot. And if you are into obscure aircraft designation, this was named as the F-21 which were purchased for use as an aggressor aircraft for Top Gun and other US Pilot Combat training programs

[@JDJLalor]

You're right, there was the GE J79 powered Kfir, and there was also the Nesher, powered by the SNECMA Atar 9. Both were derived from the Mirage 5.

[@anuvisraa5786]

these also the sudafrican chetac another mirage deribative

[@maxsmodels]

Ironically I just opened the box on a kit of the Kfir.

[@leosouzanet]

00:20 Mirage IIIBR. Brazilian Air Force.🇧🇷

[@Farweasel]

That's the waxed version isn't it?

[@leosouzanet]

@@Farweasel yeap. Notice the Red thong on the air intakes.

[@samcaster8321]

Dude, you forgot to mention PAF who is still using 160 of these.

[@paintnamer6403]

The Mirage is on my sexiest planes planes list.

[@martentrudeau6948]

I'll bet some of the Milan design work would eventually evolved into Rafale.

[@leneanderthalien]

not realy, the Milan prototype was made in 1969, and the first Rafale demonstrator in 1986 , first Rafale prototype in 1990 and entering in service only in 2002, so 33 years after the Milan

[@johnforsyth7987]

Thak you for the very informative video. I have two Swedish aircraft of the WWII era I would love to see you cover on your channel. The first is the FFVS J-22. An aircraft that looks a look like a small German FW-190. The second aircraft is the SAAB-21. Which does not really look like any other airplane of this time period. Maybe the Fokker G-1. Both of these aircraft prove Sweden could build an excellent aircraft. Even if it did not have a lot of manufacturing experience.

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

See the history of the Hawker Hunter in the Swiss Air Force. My ex test pilot friend Marc for Swiss AF still flies one, a T2 trainer in new paintwork, for displays. Look up. 😉😎🇨🇭🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@Farweasel]

There's a beautiful video been on You Tube for years of a Swiss Air Force Hunter (or it was Airforce originally, maybe no private) over the Alps to the 'Anno Dorime' song. Great visuals, relaxing soundtrack Search on: 'Stunning passenger Hunter flight in the Swiss mountains'

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

@@Farweasel You got it - if the fella is wearing a blue helmet, that is Marc. 😉😎

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

@@Farweasel yep, that is Marc. 😎 kzbin.info/www/bejne/narEeYqhpN1sgZI

[@robertnortan87]

Oui love ze moustatche !

[@lakrids-pibe]

The "Astérix"? Ils sont fous

[@jean-bernardbrault2753]

Mr. Nash, just a little remark on the prononciation of Dassault. In french, if there is a double s, it definitively is pronounced 'S' not 'Z'. But at least you got the 'ault' part right. Thank you.

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Lol apologies.

[@einautofan6685]

Like "Dassoo"

[@niclasbagenheim7181]

So they needed the Viggen! :-D

[@bigblue6917]

A French aircraft with a moustache. Getting a bit stereotyped here. But I shall refrain from asking about the beret and hooped top.

[@maciek_k.cichon]

It did had dual 30 mm hardened baguette cannons, so there's that.

[@bentilbury2002]

The onion shaped bombs were going a bit far I think.

[@bigblue6917]

@@maciek_k.cichon that was banned by the French government. The French are very funny about stale bread.

[@bigblue6917]

@@bentilbury2002 I could go all French philosopher at this point and say the onion bomb is like life. It has many layers and always ends in tears

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

See the underground aircraft hangers of the Swiss Air Force, Hawker Hunters being towed out from them by local farm 🚜, in cold war exercises, taking off from their roads.

[@808bigisland]

The Mirage was a nuclear bomber for the "hypothetical" Swiss nuclear bomb.

[@GifFg-w4s]

هاته طائرة التي في الصورة سبق لي ان رايتها على شكل رؤية

[@WilmerCook]

This all started with the F 102 and F 106, am I right?

[@bullthrush]

A hint of Payen PA-22.

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

Bon jour, mon amis - zoom!

[@JamesCalbraith]

Did Russians steal the moustache design for Tu-144, or was it an independent development?

[@maciek_k.cichon]

Tu-144 flew in 1968, so maybe parallel?

[@WilmerCook]

And the Marage 4 like the F104

[@louiswilkins9624]

Cool

[@philippebroers2838]

double SS you pronounce Z ? great stuff though maybe i missed an intentional joke

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

Ed, double S.... S sound, not Z sound.

[@VangelisKontogeorgakos]

Great video, but Mirage 2000 is the finest delta wing fighter of all time!

[@leneanderthalien]

Yes the Mirage 200 is a pure delta, but... the Rafale is also a delta winged fighter...sinze the Mirage III, all Dassault fighters had delta wings, except the Mirage F1 who was made more versatile and rugged, able to use poor runways, was in competition with the F16, but the US make all to "kill" this concurrent...but today are the most Mirage F1 (retired from the french airforce in 2014) in the USA, use as training opponents (by ATAC) for the US fighter pilots...

[@akirasanakirasan5347]

They had a helping hand with th fairey delta

[@leneanderthalien]

yes but no, the french did work on delta wings sinze the 30's and known they job

[@akirasanakirasan5347]

@@leneanderthalien the Delta was in france doing test flights anf they garnered a lot of info

[@toomanyuserids]

Prettiest delta? *cough* F-106 *cough*

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

The f106 is, indeed, glorious :)

[@randyhavard6084]

That's a very French looking mustache

[@thisguyyyyyyy2723]

So just like a stereotypical Frenchman, this variant of the Mirage has a pencil mustache…

[@hawkertyphoon4537]

imagine the SLUF in Swiss service. Never!

[@Guardias]

Think the moral of this story is to not sell to the Swiss.

[@C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13]

I like my planes like I like my women... Moustachioed.

[@chriscampbell2327]

Interesting because I was looking this morning on where I can donate money to buy weapons to send to Ukraine. Keep up the good work!

[@alan-sk7ky]

3:10 Anyone know what the transport is at extreme right? all wrong for a Noratlas not a Fairchild C119 either. Anyone?

[@oguzkupusoglu3154]

Bréguet 763 Deux-Ponts?

[@alan-sk7ky]

@@oguzkupusoglu3154 yep, you are spot on I think :-)

[@Boitaoutix]

​@@oguzkupusoglu3154 Yes, I confirm, it's a Bréguet "deux-ponts", probably a 765 "Sahara" in GAM 82 livery.

[@daxkedgx8698]

Only one nation operate the mirage 3, 5 etc now and that's pakistan. all other users have retired them.

[@philmorrow2446]

and th UK got rid of the Fairy Delta!! Another superb MoD decision!!!😉😂😂😂😂

[@antonferreira483]

It was an experimental design only. They didn't "get rid of" it

[@salty4496]

:)

[@Vlad_a450]

but not good enough to stop hiding behind Ukrainian grandmothers! Get to arms!