The Dassault Mirage IV; Elegantly Lethal

While other nations' nuclear bombers tended to be big bruisers, the French went with an elegant - dare I say beautiful - design to provide their airborne deterrent.
Sources for this video can be found at the relevant article on:
militarymatter...
If you like this content please consider buying me a coffee or else supporting me at Patreon:
ko-fi.com/edna...
/ ednash
Want another way to help support this channel? Maybe consider buying my book on my time fighting ISIS:
amzn.to/3preYyO

[@jjmcrosbie]

When George W Bush wanted to invade Iraq, France advised against it. Up until the invasion, the French Armée de l'Aire had been flying Mirage 4 reconnaissance missions to get the pics the yank satellites couldn't get. France was proved right, the invasion had a bad outcome. And on CNN I saw one of the yank statesmen giving a speech which included "We'll have to consider what sanctions to take against the French" because they wouldn't join the invasion against the non-existent "Weapons of Mass Destruction". And there began a hate campaign in US against the French. French air hostesses were reviled by yank airport officials. Very good French engineers, very knowing French statesmen and diplomats. Typical bullying and blustering yank statesmen. Nice plane. I used to see them fly over my house in the 1990s (that's in the Lot département). Nice video. Thank you.

[@PeteSampson-qu7qb]

I mostly agree but have a quibble. Everyone in Bushco, including the US military and possibly Dubbya himself, knew what France knew. It wasn't a failure in intelligence, it was a wilful crime and everyone involved should have been handed over to a world court. I. Pete. An American patriot am the first to admit that. Cheers!

[@jonathanlippold4674]

This is a stuningly beautiful airframe.This is a real design masterpiece that can be examined at the Yorkshire aircraft museum. What amazed me was how thin all the airfoils were; better than the Lockheed starfighter.IMHO. Also the cockpits were plenty large enough. Great video - adding to the background of this historic plane.

[@grizwoldphantasia5005]

The Mirage IV wing thickness is 3.8% root to 3.2% tip; the F-104 is 3.36%, according to wikipedia.

[@dogeness]

@@grizwoldphantasia5005 That is just a thickness to chord ratio. It doesn't give the nominal value of the thickness itself. To get thickness you multiply that percent by the chord

[@briankay4713]

It is an absolute beauty, a Cold War masterpiece …. Big too .. I have been to Elvington to see it … blew me away …

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Large cockpit australia mirage 111 museum. I'm in cockpit too small I'm 193cm 103kg.

[@ianmangham4570]

DONCASTER WOZ ERE 💯🤟🇬🇧

[@CaptainLumpyDog]

Among the most beautiful aircraft ever created!

[@guaporeturns9472]

True

[@JZsBFF]

France put the 'art' in aircraft.

[@aaronlopez492]

The Mirage IV was an attractive and capable platform wish fulfilled its design parameters well. The idea to base its development on existing proven technologies was a very smart and financially reasonable decision. Proving, in life you don't always have to start from scratch. Ed, that was a very insightful look at this aircraft. Thank you.

[@stevenhoman2253]

The much maligned French do so many things right. That being just one of the many.

[@pilou09100]

@@stevenhoman2253 And if we stick to your ridiculous observations, do you have any idea of ​​the percentage of their daily density?

[@manuelatreide]

As a young French citizen back in 1990, I served my time in the French Air Force at the Mont de Marsan airbase. There, I had the privilege to see this amazing aircraft take off and land on a daily basis. I remember admiring it taking off with its afterburner from the window of my bedroom during sunset. The roaring engines and the elegant shape slowly vanishing as the planes began their alert patrols. Back then I already knew the Mirage IV was already largely outdated but I never stopped admiring it and I really cherish my memories of this time.

[@mattharcla]

With jammers, they would have been very useful over Kuwait in '90/'91 right through 'til today. Apparently B-52's over 30,000ft were used against forward SAM defended Iraqi positions with impunity. Interesting that altitude again meant safety. Bon jour.

[@garryiglesias4074]

Dassault, outre les patrons (héritiers) qui dégradent leur image, sont quand même un fleuron de la technologie. C'est d'ailleurs ce qui m'enrage encore plus envers ces "capitaines d'industries" en France: ils ne sont pas au niveau des industries qu'ils parasitent... Mais bref, je m'égare.. Oui les mirages, le rafale, et même pour le logiciel, les Français sont capables de faire de belles choses et de rivaliser avec les déluges de dollars dont bénéficient les compagnies US. J'ai grandi a Biscarrosse, entre le CEV de Cazaux, et le CEL, on voyait souvent ces oiseaux de métal voler sur nos tètes, mon mentor en informatique travaillait pour le CEV et avec lui on partageait notre passion pour l'aéronautique... Dans les années 80, on voyait aussi des tirs d'ICBM, c'était fou, le bruit fracassant et de voir ces fusées partir dans le ciel, quand on était en primaire on galopait dans la cour pour voir ca. Salutations d'un Gascon !

[@trespire]

I was a maintainer in the Israeli Air Force in the 90s, mostly on F-4E "Kurnass". I think the only cold war jet possibly more iconic than the Phantom, would be a Dassault Mirage-IV. We had all French jets in the Six Day War : Super Mistare, Vatoure, & Mirrage III. We had an old Vatoure on a pedistal in front of one of our squadrons HQ, it was big and ungainly, but had a vary long and usefull bomb payliad doors. The Mirrage was before my time, but we still had a few Kfir in service. Dassault make the most beautifully leathal jets.

[@reculepoireau6155]

@@trespire Super Mystère, Vautour, Mirage III. 🤓

[@laurent5060]

@@garryiglesias4074 "Mais bref, je m'égare.." Complètement, les entreprises familiales sont plus performantes +3.7 % en chiffre d'affaire par ans que les non familiales

[@IR_IE_ID]

the mirage family are such beautiful aircrafts

[@guaporeturns9472]

True

[@Eric-kn4yn]

@@guaporeturns9472 🇮🇱

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@Eric-kn4yn 🇫🇷

[@trespire]

Elegant and deadly. A Mirrage-III flown by Giora Epstein holds the all time world record for confirmed kills in a fighter jet. In the right hands, French built Dassault jets decimated Soviet/Russian jets, some were secretly piloted by Russian pilots.

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@trespire Love the Mirages..Joeseph McConnell shot down 16 during the Korean War… no helicopters though.

[@deltavee2]

The Dassault company built some beautiful aircraft and the Mirage III and IV are a beautiful example of the French approach to engineering, as in the Citroen DS-19 and the CGSB's .375 SR-73 revolver.

[@trespire]

The DS-19, has a suprising ammont of aviation technology in its design. Eng. Paul Magés designed the revolutonary hydropneumatic suspention system.

[@gerardmenou3851]

and most recently the Rafale but not only

[@Cbob64]

They also build gorgeous private jets. Falcon 8x

[@soonerlon]

Great video! The last time I was at French Air Force Base BA125, i was able to get up close to a Mirage IV they had on static display. Very impressive (and large!) airplane. Like you said beautiful and deadly.

[@Sacto1654]

If I remember it, the Mirage IV was designed that way because operated from bases in France, they didn't need a big plane to fly nuclear weapons long ranges, since the French didn't contemplate delivering nuclear weapons any further east of Moscow.

[@slimyjimmy1589]

I'm surprised, I always wanted a video on two obscure aircraft. The Sukhoi SU-15 Flagon and the Dassault mirage IV. Finally got one of them.

[@gerardmenou3851]

Hello, they are many in French like this one. Just use subtitles and from parameters select your native language to enjoy it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2Xbm4aFl6qpfNU

[@offshoretomorrow3346]

Only recently struck me that the Mirages got supersonic fighter thing nailed way before Britain ever did. (The Lightning was more an interceptor truck.)

[@offshoretomorrow3346]

'the' supersonic fighter thing, sorry.

[@Pouncer9000]

The Lightning was a sparkling performer, but it kinda cheated by leaving all its fuel on the ground!

[@janxspirit6707]

Great Video, you don't see many on this beautiful looking machine. Ty!

[@McRocket]

This is one of my favorite, Cold War combat aircraft. Thank you for this. ☮

[@JZsBFF]

To me the III is most elegant Western jet until the arrival of the F15.

[@joesillamanrs7189]

The French just understand omirole fighters more than anyone. It’s remarkable that such a small country can produce world class fighters.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Dassault was Bloch 🇮🇱

[@Balrog2005]

@@Eric-kn4yn And he was always a french citizen, formed in France and have a lot of good local engineers and have a really good aviation industry in his country to help him and the designs of his firm...so no.

[@benoitguillou3146]

Actually if you're been in a French school prior to 1990 and the takeover of the liberal globalisation which now totally achieved to corrupt French elites and the subsequent administration of French schools .....It's VERY easy to understand why we could achieve that despite being such a "small" country ( a small country which have more fields medals per square meter than almost everywhere else , and invented a large portion of all the technologies of the "modern world " ) ..... Because you see , thanks to the very successful brainwashing within anglo saxon countries about anything non privatized being a communist antichrist genocide enterprise ( they even made you forget about christ in the scriptures washing the feet of prostitutes and doing miracles for the poor , which is a feat , but protestant reform was kind of magical in that sense ) , in anglo saxon countries you can only attain higher education if you already have money ( your parents money most of the time , or later in life when you accumulated enough but your brain's power is already declining ) , and there's a statistical problem with that , families with money don't only, automatically produce top shelf brains ( heh rich people like to fuck dumb models too , some families the wealth of which was born out of pure luck can be rich but not automatically very brilliant ) .....So only a very small population of rich people that can attain higher education at the right age , an even smaller proportion actually have the talent to put that higher education to groundbreaking use , wasting in the process hundreds of thousands of poor people brains who could have performed even better had they had access to the same higher education "free of charge" ( well no free from taxes , but well spent taxes who could have by the way of generated innovations created billions of profits for the country ) .... France *was a MERIT based society , where everybody had a shot at it , and let me tell ya , over the whole approx 57 millions of French citizens who had a shot at it , our state , however embarrassing for the anglo saxon liberal cult , could find more highly potent brains statistically , than in a mere 1-2-3 millions of very rich people able to access higher education in the anglo saxon countries , it's really basic statistics ....But your elites know that fact very well , and they're fine with it because they don't want to bother managing an educated population on a wide scale , nor paying for it , that's pretty much why they compensate by attracting internationally , very well formed brains from countries where education cost nothing with juicy salaries , and by sucking up all the data , inventions and patents they can extract from French and other European companies for free through NSA spying , repossessions of our companies by bankrupting them through international sanctions based legal weasel work , not even counting extra territoriality of the dollar based fines , which is basically worldwide brainpower parasitism made policy .....

[@MrNaKillshots]

Brilliant channel. Better than telly.

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Thank you!

[@mpgingdl]

Leave it to the French to produce attractive and even sexy machines of mass destruction.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

🇮🇱 dassault

[@964cuplove]

It would be great to see you talk about the whole french military aircraft history…

[@luvr381]

Happy New Year Ed!

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Happy new year!

[@AAO342]

Hmm...I think I need to go and find my Heller 1/48 kit of this beauty and start building .

[@sealove79able]

A greatly interesting video.So the MirageIV was something between the F111 and Vbombers?Have a good one.

[@jacksavage4098]

Beautiful aircraft.

[@MrNaKillshots]

A beautiful aircraft.

[@michaellefrapper5863]

Another great aircraft. Thanks for pronouncing D'assaut correctement. Cheers. 💙 💛

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

I got shouted at a lot in previous videos so try to get it right 😁

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

I have been fortunate enough to see one in the flesh at the Yorkshire museum. It’s one of those planes that looks even better in person! 😎 I remember as a kid reading or being told these would theoretically operate in pairs. With one refuelling the other to allow for extended range. Any truth to this?? Thanks for a great video!

[@aponf574]

I never heard of that capability, as stated France had to buy a fleet of tankers to be able tu refuel mid air. You may check ate chuet's video where he make a tour of the mirage iv with a pilot who flown it (his father actually, both are retired military pilots).

[@johnryder1713]

Happy New Year Ed, and Please God a good one viewing your fine content

[@kiereluurs1243]

There's no 'god'. Sorry.

[@johnryder1713]

@@kiereluurs1243 I can't make you believe, but I do so sorry to you

[@johnphillips519]

I have always liked the look of the Mirage 👍

[@garysteinert8040]

The Rafale is an incredible aircraft

[@Pouncer9000]

May 27th 1966 De Gaulle received the dramatic news that no fewer than 6 Mirage IV's had just crashed in the sea off Seville. This was upsetting news as it represented a pretty sizeable chunk of France's _Force_de_frappe_, the nuclear deterrent force. One can imagine he was almost relieved when the report was updated and showed that the incident in fact an involved not Mirages but older Mystère IV's!

[@bertrandviolette9008]

Never, absolutely wrong! From the beginning of that drama, both the Armée de l’air and the government knew exactly 6 Mystère IV where involved in the accident. The 6 Mystère IV were in route to Sevilla in Spain, from Cazeaux in France, with no navigation means on board, except a radiocompass, they got lost, and ran out of petrol and all 6 pilots had to eject. In 1966, i can say, no Mirage IV had never landed or intented to, on a foreign country airfield.

[@leneanderthalien]

Was Mystere IV not Mirage IV

[@Pouncer9000]

@@bertrandviolette9008 Oui mais l'anecdote est plus riche: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3i9maV5ibVpn5I À bon entendeur!

[@bertrandviolette9008]

@@Pouncer9000 Et bien moi, je ne crois pas son anecdote à propos du général de Gaulle croyant avoir perdu des Mirage IV. Ce n’est pas parce qu’il le dit que c’est crédible. C’est une légende urbaine qu’il répète pour atténuer son sentiment de culpabilité et justifier sa mise à pied. À bon entendeur!

[@Pouncer9000]

@@bertrandviolette9008 Rôh, on peut quand même imaginer un subalterne chargé de transmettre l'info mélanger ses Mystère avec ses Mirage?

[@williammagoffin9324]

At first the French had to use Vautour as tankers for the Mirage IV before they got the KC-135s.

[@bertg.6056]

Excellent video, thanks !

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

Glad you liked it!

[@mikemontgomery2654]

Really neat jet. I’d love to get a 1/32 plastic model of one of these.

[@razorback20]

I hope you have a large shelf to put it on 😇

[@mikemontgomery2654]

@@razorback20 I’d have to find some space between all my other fighters…. I’ll make it work.

[@laurencemoore2105]

A scaled up version of the mirage 3, and they made it work. 🤔 I wonder if the US Airforce wishes they'd looked into the expanded family of proposed F22 variants that were offered back when it was still in production. Just thinking of the fact they're having something of an issue trying to fulfill all their commitments with the F22 right now. Apologies for any inaccuracies, or sweeping generalisations, no offence is meant.

[@watcherzero5256]

Issue with the US is they order equipment (such as planes and ships) dictated by politicians who lobby to include stuff in defense authorization bills to satisfy industrial interests and then the military have to try to find a role for the inventory they ended up with after the fact. They often end up with too much of something they dont need and not enough of what they do need, outdated stuff stays in production far beyond its natural end point and so requires constant updating while other stuff they do want ends production before reaching critical mass or production slowed to the point of arriving too late and no longer economically viable as funds have had to be diverted to pay for the stuff they never wanted to buy in the first place.

[@dbaider9467]

Lovely stuff.

[@marcmarco5373]

Excellent video. A minor remark to its maker : Dassault is pronounced DAH-SO not DAH-ZO. Just in case you make another one about an aircraft from that manufacturer. Thanks for video !😉

[@grantchang81976]

mirage IV with upgraded engines would be devastating

[@nicolaspeigne1429]

that navigation radar underneath look so out of place on such an elegant design

[@brianedwards7142]

Never happened: you're imagining it all.

[@sohrabroozbahani4700]

Before there was a Backfire, there was a Mirage IV...

[@Thunder_6278]

Darn, it was a gorgeous plane, we Americans are humbled.😏

[@loiclaronche5675]

You got to see her. Even in a museum you don't want to touch her ... for fear she might bite

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

France made an Arrow and turned it into a bomber.

[@paulcasey5204]

Bizarre that weapons systems which provide genuine deterrence are also completely useless as war fighting machines.

[@rararnanan7244]

The idea to use the Mirage IV as a photo-recce platform probably originated with the Israeli air force interest in the plane. Israeli chief test pilot Dani Shapira had good connections at Dassault and managed to get a test flight, the first by a foreign pilot. He sold the Israeli Air Force on the idea to convert the IV into a photo-recce plane, and negotiations started. However, after the 1967 Six Days war France embargoed all weapon deals with Israel and that was the end of that - except Dassault recognized the potential and sold the R model to the French air force.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Good connections. 🇮🇱🇮🇱

[@gregtaylor6146]

Thanks entirely due to the British and all the research (which Marcel Dassault purchased) emanating from the Fairey Delta 2 program.

[@Pouncer9000]

Yawn

[@BaguetteGamingOfficial]

Salty

[@gregtaylor6146]

@@Pouncer9000 - Wake up luvvie, listen to some truth bombs!

[@gregtaylor6146]

@@BaguetteGamingOfficial - Truth CAN be unpalatable, yes.

[@andrewfischer8564]

didnt isreal build these and, use them to great effect?

[@servicekid7453]

Israel built the Nesher (Mirage III copy) and the Kfir (Mirage V copy)

[@victornewman9904]

Mmh. Fairly Delta?

[@henrysara7716]

Great overall, beatiful and reliable plane. Sadly, you didn't mention it's role in the South Atlantic War between England and Argentina.

[@offshoretomorrow3346]

There wasn't a role for this model.

[@henrysara7716]

@@offshoretomorrow3346 an one honorable mention wouldn't hurt.

[@servicekid7453]

The Mirage IV didn’t feature in the Falklands War, Argentina didn’t have any of the type. They had Mirage III’s and Daggers (the Israeli-built copy).

[@MrDino1953]

One thing that all the Mirage series failed miserably at was continuing the pre-war French tradition of making ugly, slow, under-powered aircraft.

[@Pouncer9000]

It's a bit of a scandal, best not talked about

[@bertrandviolette9008]

Not since the Mirage 2000 and the Rafale.

[@williamromine5715]

Basically, France was saying to the Societs, go ahead and nuke one or more of the NATO countries, and as long as you don't nuke France, we'll stay out of the fight. They built beautiful air craft, but their unwillingness to be a team player in defending Europe from Soviet actions always bothered me.

[@Pouncer9000]

Maybe we have different definitions of what constitutes a team player, but France had valid reasons (IMO) to recover its strategic autonomy, and article 5 very much guaranteed France would stand by its allies, and vice versa. Ask yourself why you need to make shit up to feel indignant about France?

[@bertrandviolette9008]

You don’t know the difference between strategic and tactical, and the whole story behind the choice for nuclear deterrence autonomy by France, maybe. NATO had and still have only tactical nuclear weapons on european ground. The MIrage IV was a strategic nuclear bomber, not a tactical one. Every nation with nuclear capabilities has the same philosophy to use the nuclear strategic weapon : Only for home defense.

[@williamromine5715]

@@Pouncer9000 I'm sorry, France's actions speak louder than her promises. For example, France didn't invade Germany when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Instead of attacking Germany France made a small advance but then chickened out Leaving Poland to fend for itself. When Germany then invaded the low countries, France took the first opportunity it had to surrender, and cooperate with the Natzis(rounding up the Jews, etc.) I wouldn't trust France to live up to its promises.

[@adrien5834]

What you are describing is the US government's policy. The reason France withdrew from NATO's command structure is that the USA would not commit to using nuclear weapons in defence of their European allies. Therefore France had to create her own MAD, since she could not rely on the USA.

[@bertrandviolette9008]

@@williamromine5715 Same for Great Britain in 1939. Both France and GB had an agreement to defend Poland. But strangely, you don’t mention it. Do you know how many french soldiers died at Dunkirk, for example? 18 000 franche soldiers in 9 days. And it is the key of the success of operation Dynamo,with the 2 or 3 days stop from the german army before attacking. During the battle of the Low Contries you mention, called here in France "Battle of France", 60 000 french soldiers died in 6 weeks. 7 500 belgian soldiers, 4 500 english soldiers, 3000 dutch soldiers, 6000 polish soldiers died, during the same battle you mention. (Iwo Jima battle, approximately 6 weeks too, 7000 american soldiers died. Just to put in perspective, nothing else.) I could tell you about some others facts like these, like Bir Hakem in 1942, or the importance of the french resistance for the success of operation Overlord, for example, but as they don’t meet your beliefs and willings, you’ll have some difficulties to admit, i guess. Between 220 000 and 250 000 french soldiers died during the entire WW2, depends on sources. That being said, the french government and the high ranking officers in 1939, were very weak and poor, same for Vichy government after 1940. Maybe your coment is due to a lack of historical knowledge, or a repetition of what you ear ans see on KZbin, maybe you make a confusion between a government and a population, i don’t know. But if in your comment you hide a part of the reality, by purpose, to do some french bashing, it’s very sad.

[@bronsonperich9430]

Bloody Frogs. Why would you give operational command to a military that had been beaten by same country three times in less than 80 years?

[@Pouncer9000]

France didn't lose WWI genius..

[@bronsonperich9430]

@@Pouncer9000 😂😂😂 I think you’ve forgotten the initials in WW1. It was a WORLD WAR because France sucked so badly at defending itself we all had to jump in and help them out. Then we did the same thing again 20 years later. Your military sucks when you need the world to save you everytime you have a border dispute with the neighbours 😂😂😂.

[@bertrandviolette9008]

Learn history, then, open your big mouth! :)

[@bronsonperich9430]

@@bertrandviolette9008 my mouth is so big because thousands of my countrymen died saving France - TWICE! Learn history and say thank you!

[@bronsonperich9430]

@@bertrandviolette9008 well the second time we landed in Italy but we wouldn’t have needed to land there if Vichy Pussy Ass Petain didn’t surrender. Or are you telling me he wasn’t convicted of treason?

[@werre2]

been to France twice - it's a lost country. Full of very loud africans and arabs.

[@Pouncer9000]

And during your stays an additional racist

[@bentilbury2002]

And everyone of them a better human being than you "Sporde".

[@Russianpaintrain]

If I recall correctly , France said , more or less , we do not need NATO , we have the Mirage IV , and we will deliver before your off the ground , anywhere , or something to that effect.

[@JGCR59]

The archivements of the french postwar aeronautical industry are sadly totally under appreciated in the english speaking world.

[@bertrandviolette9008]

As everything in aeronautics that is not american or english world, in fact.

[@DavidtheNorseman]

LOL - not at all under-appreciated...just the standard French, "Pah, Zees 'wheel' is not from France! Ve vill zees re-invent from zee baxic mathematique!" Then proceed to re-invent everything from the circle on up, throw away any original plans and by dint of amazing amounts of work make the project successful anyways. France is *expected* to be competent so doesn't always get the seeming praise of the Anglo-sphere....Each nation that can makes its own weapons systems. One never knows when a change of power in an "Ally" turns them into your next enemy....

[@jamesbugbee9026]

Not by all of us, but note where much of the R&D $ came from

[@brunol-p_g8800]

The Pre War achievements are even more under appreciated: invention of the turbojet, the statoreactor (Ramjet), the Pulsoreactor,etc.

[@guaporeturns9472]

True.. it’s common in the English speaking places around the globe to basically ridicule and belittle anything French , possibly a carryover from the numerous French English wars that had become so common up until the 20th century.

[@phillipphil1615]

Not only did you do a wonderful job with the mirage 4, you gave the reason France left NATO 's integrated command and the strategic objectives of the french deterrent in clear and simple terms. Good job !😊

[@iberiksoderblom]

The Mirage's, no matter the version, are very beautifull and capable planes.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Were

[@theussmirage]

Such a shame the Rafale wasn't brought into the Mirage family, it certainly inherits its predecessors good looks (at least in a clean configuration)

[@mpersad]

I always liked the Mirage IV - a beautiful design that remained mission fit for a period of time that put most competitors to shame.

[@decimated550]

I don't think there is any other design in history in which a bomber frame was made from a scaled up fighter frame. If you can think of one, tell me please

[@einautofan6685]

To me it's the most beautiful Mirage ever! Such an elegant Aircraft! I don't know why I'm attracted to Delta Wings and Flying Wings but they just look beautiful! Simple form but effective! The presence is allmost like a Mini-Concorde...😎👌

[@F-BVFForever]

The Mirage IV was flown by both Aérospatiale & BAC Concorde test pilot's before they first flew the prototype's, as it was expected to handle like a huge-Mirage IV too👍

[@militaryintelligence3436]

The Mirage IV is such a beautiful old aircraft. One of my favorites!

[@rolanddutton]

Always thought it was the best looking Mirage (close run with the 2000).

[@bertrandviolette9008]

During exercices in 60’s/70’s, Mirage III + Matra 530 missile, were unable to intecrcept the Mirage IV flying at Mach 2+ / 60 000 ft+. At that time (and maybe still now…), the Mirage IV was the only aircraft in Europe to sustain Mach 2 during 30 minutes.

[@andrewallen9993]

Concorde could do that all the way from France to the US never mind 30 minutes.

[@bertrandviolette9008]

@@andrewallen9993 Of course, except Concorde, you’re right. Forgot to mention that.

[@sergeychmelev5270]

Can't say that's impressive. R.530 was a short-range missile meant mostly for close encounters, not intercepting Mach 2 bombers. It was also a pretty crappy missile, as the Six-Day War demonstrated.

[@bertrandviolette9008]

@@sergeychmelev5270 Don’t think so. Matra 530 and later Super 530 had this particular purpose, intercepting high altitude target. Maybe short range compared to some others, indeed, but a very good climber. The missile himself was not bad, but the radar of the Mirage III had very limited range and was not realy accurate. I would had that people in general underestimate the difficulty to intercept high altitude / high speed targets, same for very low / high speed targets, by the way. In both cases, for different reasons, the firing window is very small and short. And what must not be forgotten is that at this period, the kill ratio of semi active missile was very poor. Maybe something like 15% for the AIM-7 during Vietnam war, if i remembre well.

[@Cbob64]

@@andrewallen9993 Concorde balancing fuel tank system is inspired from the one used on the Mirage IV.

[@lhkraut]

The French sure do make some sexy aircraft! Thanks for another great video!

[@dl6519]

GREAT VIDEO about a GREAT AIRCRAFT (history indicates that it was successful in its nuclear deterrent role). I saw four Mirage IV's on the ground at Charles de Gaulle airport from the window of a taxiing 747 in December 1981, and I'll never forget the sight. I did not know there was an operational giant twin-engine Mirage so I was freaking out all the way back to the States until I could look it up. Probably the most beautiful aircraft I have ever seen, its only possible rival in that regard being the Northrop YF-23.

[@RIRI-el6xm]

I worked without a Airbase oparate Mirage 2000-5 (air domination version) (But I Know this fighter in meeting At 11 years. Go inside for make a photo. 11 Old I already had difficulty getting into the Cockpit because it is so small) (I am a litel boy of 1 m90 or around 6.25 Ft to day)) Generally, I don't really like the design of American Aircraft, but I must admit that the LM Sr71 and Northrop YF-23 are beyond anything we have done in Europe, and even in France or Russia, generations ahead. Its planes look like they came out of a science fiction film. I think the Black Widow is the most beautiful and awesome airplane ever created. The Yf-23 was so superior to the F22 in almost every way that it's hard to understand the choice (other than corruption) When you see this plane, you have the impression of seeing a plane of a higher generation. Its engineers put so much energy and work into making the plane successful, especially with the GE variable-cycle engines, its speed and its altitude. It was refused for all projects, the superiority one, the bomber, and the modified version for the Navy, the Nataf. We say to ourselves that the Northrop engineers must have really had it wrong, and I have the balls for them. We see that this very squashed and wide shape guarantees a small equivalent surface area. It was widely used on the last Russian Sukhoi. To return to our good old Mirage 4 (Call us, “La pelle à tarte”) "Cake, pie server" This is due to its super flat wings (supersonic flight) and its super long landing gear. On the ground, he had a really special look. (from the front, it also looked like we were seeing a medieval knight in armor. Or a pink flamingo walking. What we can know about going back to the Mirage 4 is its ability to fly supersonic for a long time. 30 minutes at mach 2 and more than an hour at mach 1.8. The mirages 3 in training never manage to intercept it. (between his electronic warfare and his speed) he was untouchable. Which at the time was totally unique. The Sr71 has superior possibilities, but its so difficult to oparate and the cary possibility are nothing comparable. Another strength of the Mirage 4 is that it can completely change missions during its career. When the U2 of Francis Gary Powers was brought down by the Soviets SAM, the French changed from the high altitude mission to combat infiltration at very low altitude. (to avoid radar) And the bomber is wonderfully well adapted to the new flight characteristics. The Mirage 4 will serve as the technological basis for the Concorde. Its flight controls are the ancestor of the F.B.W. flight controls. French and European. which will greatly accelerate the design of Concorde and subsequently give Fly by wire to Airbus and Dassault. Which are often far superior to other manufacturers. For my part, my favorite Mirage (design) was the Mirage F1, with its small high wings and huge belly cans, it was our French F104. It was fast, maneuverable and efficient (although its radar was a bit crap and worked when it wanted (overheating) Via its best-of-the-moment missiles, it still knocked out a certain number of Iranian F14s, a much more sophisticated and expensive aircraft. But in the military, technology does not always equate to success. You only have to see Vietnam to understand.

[@dumptrump3788]

0:45 "...often overlooked role in the Manhattan project". I find it amazing how many non-US participants were simply airbrushed out of the Manhattan project.

[@Chilly_Billy]

It was nice seeing the Vautour. Hint, hint... it would make a great subject for a video.

[@binaway]

With it's Mirages family of aircraft Dassault just got it wright. Both affordable and reliable.

[@seansabhaois]

Great video👍🙂 Various Mirage models were used during South Africa's Border War from the late 1970's up the early 1990's operated by the previous SAAF. They stood up well against various Soviet supplied aircraft, operated by the then front line states and ofcourse in the skies of Southern Angola. When the SABC TV was launched in 1975/6 there was also a French dubbed TV mini series 'Mirage' featuring the daily trials and tribulations of 2 French pilots. Some good videos are still on YT featuring the Swiss Air force operating their Mirages in some thrillingly flying in the Alps.

[@FinsburyPhil]

Serious consideration was given to a re-engined Mirage IV as an alternative to TSR-2. Also gives us some idea what the developed thin-winged Javelin might have looked like.

[@lenfirewood4089]

Speaking of the "sleek looks" I think that may have a lot to do with the development of the Fairey Delta II - Dassault were kind enough to allow Fairey airbase facilties after our british government issued too much red tape for it to continue it's supersonic flight testing. The Fairey Delta II was a record breaking single engined supersonic prototype that lost out after Duncan Sands took an axe to our air force development budgets - the Fairey Delta 3 was a twin engined jet that would certainly have given the famous English Electric Lightening a run for it's money but sadly Duncan's axe fell leaving Dassault with a lot of know how in the development of it's own aircraft - not all was lost with the Fairey Delta though even from the British perspective - the hinged nose for example was adopted in the development of the Anglo-French Concord. Our biggest impediment was NOT lack of technology or innovation but rather political intrigue and shortsightedness again from the political class.

[@johndane9754]

If it's pretty yet deadly, its French.

[@JZsBFF]

The economics of budget limitations. Every round matters. Europe doesn't have anything like the US military budget.

[@jamesbugbee9026]

Like what the Gloster Javelin should have looked like: Supersexy w/ a cyclops radar eye in her belly

[@edsutherland8266]

I’ve always thought that the UK would have done well to just buy the Mirage IV and Buccaneer to fill the TSR-2 requirement. An Avon, Spey or Olympus engined version would have been a great aircraft. Obviously the Royal Navy were always going to end up with the main deterrent role by the late 60s, but as a tactical nuclear bomber, it would have been great. It would also have been cheaper than developing TSR-2.

[@wbertie2604]

Although the expressed mission of the TSR-2 was different, the actually specification required in the associated OR is pretty much the same. Unfortunately, the TSR-2 was a victim of the issues of the UK's aerospace industry in the 1950s and the massive cut in funding after the Sandys report. It was due to be in service the year this Mirage entered it. The USN Vigilante was quite similar, apart from being carrier-capable and having having a munitions delivery system inspired by a hen.

[@RedXlV]

The Mirage IVS (a Spey engined version) was offered by Dassault and BAC after the TSR-2 was cancelled, but Britain opted for the F-111K instead for political reasons. And then cancelled it too.

[@wbertie2604]

@@RedXlV Yes, the F-111K was a really botched project :(

[@edsutherland8266]

@@RedXlV I know about the later Spey engined proposal, I was thinking more pre-TSR-2 development. There are a number of interesting what-if Anglo-French projects, ranging from relatively simple Avon engined Mirage IIIs (as actually was tested for the RAAF), slightly modified Clemenceau class carriers instead of rebuilding Ark & Eagle (able to stick around until the 90s) and others. Ultimately the real problem with the Mirage IV is how you use it. It didn’t have the range or payload for genuine strategic bombing, but as a tactical bomber it was certainly a good option. If given a modest stand-off capability, they’d have been fit for use through to the 90s.

[@RedXlV]

@@edsutherland8266 It's a pity Australia didn't go for the Avon Mirage III. Particularly since CAC was already license-building the non-afterburning versions of the Avon. The Avon 67 would've been a significant increase in thrust compared to the Atar. As for the Mirage IV's limited range, I'd love to know what sort of range the Mirage IVS would've had. The Spey turbofan isn't as thirsty an engine as the Atar turbojet.

[@m.streicher8286]

French planes from the jet age are usually good looking, imo. They also had the ugliest interwar designs.

[@charlesrousseau6837]

Maybe the French recognized the latter and decided to make up for it with beautiful jets.

[@grahambuckerfield4640]

Dassault proposed a joint program with the UK, as with Concorde later, UK and French companies were proposing very similar solutions to requirements. In this case a fighter aircraft, however even before the 1957 Defence White Paper, the only Delta the RAF were interested in was the huge interception version, two crew, two air to air missiles. Not something that could maybe become the standard European NATO fighter rather than the F-104, allowing for bribery there of course. This is what Dassault were interested in, RR engines, a lot of UK avionics and systems, joint development of the FD2 into a fighter, with Dassault’s work on deltas too. The 1957 White Paper ended any thoughts, even if the RAF top brass were interested, in an aircraft in UK service to replace the Hunter in Germany and elsewhere, to supplement the Lightning. Dassault would later say ‘but for the way you do things in England, you could have had the Mirage too’. This is the great lost opportunity, not the TSR-2, the French industry thrived on exportable aircraft, not gold plated super projects that got too expensive.

[@offshoretomorrow3346]

I wonder if the jet age has finally ended? Would any plane be useful in Ukraine today in a SAM environment?

[@BaguetteGamingOfficial]

@@offshoretomorrow3346 they're still useful , russia just doesnt know how to operate them

[@stephenrickstrew7237]

Yes … you may dare say beautiful.. I entirely agree ..!

[@Tigershark_3082]

I hope to see a video on the Mirage IIING/EX or Mirage 50/50M in the future The Mirage family is just an absolute goldmine of beautiful airframes

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Dassault Bloch 🇮🇱

[@Balrog2005]

@@Eric-kn4yn No. Not at all, even today Israel can't do an combat aircraft, and no the Lavi is not a success...

[@Tigershark_3082]

@@Balrog2005 The Kfir exists, and it's still in service with at least 3-4 export customers

[@Balrog2005]

@@Tigershark_3082 Totally based on the Dassault Mirage 5 plans were ''stolen'', thanks to prove my point.

[@GARDENER42]

The Mirage was the first Airfix kit I built - must have been about 1966.

[@JTA1961]

Good choice. I can see why you picked it

[@Zorglub1966]

Nice video on a beautiful airplane. Thanks a lot!

[@thefrecklepuny]

Yes indeed, an almost forgotten type. The Mirage IV is a most enigmatic military aircraft. In the same way, RAF Lightnings found it hard to lock onto Vulcan's, so it was for FAF Mirage III's to target Mirage IV's. Indeed. I read that Mirage IV's could even best it's smaller brother in high altitude close combat!

[@PeteSampson-qu7qb]

Just think. A little Miarage IV, a little B-58, a little shake of British turbofan tech, and you've got a dandy medium/heavy attack bomber that might still be in service if they had built in a little extra room for engine and avionics upgrades. And? Everyone involved would have made a mint. It's a pity "allies" can't get along a little better.

[@BStrapper]

When a Briton relate the French doing something impressive related to defence it is always done for "prestige"... "prestige-vanity" get it? Meaning also that when Britain does the same before or after it is for defence only... When the Brits fail to do as well as the French (like the Mirage iv) it is only because comparing very vulnarable British (less than mach 1) nuclear V bomber to Mirage IV (over mach 2) is simply ridiculous. Last the Brits have no vanity whatsoever🤣 yeah sure.

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

I find it interesting that though a strategic bomber, it didn't have a bomb bay. This not only greatly affects the performance when carrying ordinance, but theaerodynamic heating didn't just apply to the airframe, but also applies to any weapons being carried externally. The British (for the TSR-2) found that any nuclear bombs carried externally were limited to 5 mins at mach 1.15 at low-level before the casing would be compromised.

[@jonathanstein1783]

I've always thought the Mirage IV was one of the sexiest mach two aircraft ever flown. If it looks good, it (usually) flies good.

[@boomslangCA]

Thanks Ed. You never really get the sense of how big the aircraft actually was from the photos in flight. Nice job.

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day, You're not bloody wrong ! Growing up in Oz, I recall the transition from Vampires and Avon-Sabres overflying ANZAC Days and Canberra's beating-up little Country Town Aero-Club Fly-ins on Summer Weekends...; then we saw Mirage- III and Phantoms, then F-111 overflights. I thus grew up being so used to seeing the Mirage III from all angles, and being much more interested in Camels and Spitfires, Triplanes and Edit. Posted early via Finga Trubble...l ...Triplanes and Messerschmitts, that I never read anything about the Mirage-IV and thus if I thought anything about it my impression was that it was "probably" an "updated version of" the Mirage III...; but I cannot swear to being aware of the Second Seat nor the Second Powerplant, and certainly I was unaware that the Mirage-IV was visually a M.-III which had been upscaled in every Dimension by 50% or 60%, while discretely adding in a second Cockpit behind the Pilot and two Engines fitted side-by-side.... So in Photographs, unless something fairly jarring is in-frame, to enforce a sense of Scale it's never previously struck me that the M.-IV was so very much bigger than the M.-III...; I apparently always interpreted the Photo' as being a Mirage-III by misunderconstumbling the distance and therefore getting the scale wrong - and moving on (to something "more interesting" - with a Propeller or several). Somewhere between Confirmation Bias and Domestic Blindness, and seeing what I expected to look at - I suppose. Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@patolt1628]

Juste some clarification if I may as an old Frenchman now: 1:13: the development of the French A bomb had nothing to do with prestige: the aim was mainly for international policy, being then part of the "super-powers club", so to speak and, above all, being really independant. 9:00: we know now that, although an amount of bombers was permanently on "hot" alert, there has never been aircrafts in the air over France carrying their bombs, at least out of periods of high tension ... The rest is perfectly correct. Regards

[@charlesmoss8119]

My word what a super talk about an absolutely lovely aircraft - not one I knew anything about so all the more enjoyable for that!!

[@lafeelabriel]

One of the best looking bombers ever built tbh.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Not stealthy for 21C

[@lafeelabriel]

@@Eric-kn4yn Stealth wasn't really a thing back when this plane was built. And what's more stealth does *nothing* for a plane's aestetics.

[@julwiezdeghorz5089]

Along with Mirage IV, Mirage 4000 should have been built. It will be a good match for F15s and SU30s.

[@razorback20]

It was deemed too expensive and not really useful at the moment, alas. But don't be sad, the 4000's innovations were actually used to develop... the Rafale. 😍

[@ReviveHF]

This plane is basically what Convair B-58 Hustler supposed to be but without the bugs and glitches.

[@mikearmstrong8483]

The B-58 had almost 3 times the range and a substantially longer supersonic cruise time.

[@wbertie2604]

@@mikearmstrong8483 and an incredibly short service life.

[@SoloRenegade]

@@wbertie2604 so did the B-17, B-36, B-29, F-86, F-100, F8F, F7F, etc. Service life means nothing.

[@gort8203]

@@SoloRenegade Especially during an era of rapid evolution in both technology and warfighting doctrine.

[@wbertie2604]

@@SoloRenegade pretty much all of those you listed had a longer service life than the B-58. The B-17 had a service life of 30 years. Even the F7F managed the same ten years as the B-58 despite being during the transition to jet power. The B-58 managed ten years in a period of time with a slower rate of evolution than 1944-54. It's short for the period, although shared with a few other US aircraft of that time. A short service life in the late 1940s or early to mid-1950s is more typical as the pace of development was very rapid then. In the case of the Hustler, it was short because the mission profile evaporated, being superseded by ICBMs, and it's slightly surprising to me that it got built as it was clear it would have a short life from the outset, just covering a period when the number of ICBMs was not at intended strength, which ended in the mid-60s. The mission still existed for France as it didn't have ICBMs at the time.

[@grahamhufton7715]

such a beauty

[@SuperChodot]

The only scaleable aircraft design 😂

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

It's not really that uncommon. If you trace the development stages between the F-5 and F/A-18 Northop repeatedly scaled the design up or down (as well as making it more or less chunky) depending on the specific version. The -300 is smaller than the -600 (YF-17), meanwhile the -530 was closer in size to the final F/A-18. Or look at the Fulcrum and Flanker designs, both draw heavily from the same aerodynamic studies and the similarities are even more pronounced if you look at the T-10 prototype.

[@prashanthb6521]

Beautiful Aircraft !

[@stevenhoman2253]

Happy new year mate, I had heard that Dassualt himself expressed the idea, that if it looks beautiful, it will fly well, as a guiding design principle. We Aussies had the Mirage III's I think, and until seeing one up close, it isn't apparent how tiny the craft is. A former pilot was nearby for comments, and he was informative, short and not very stocky. Had he been any taller, I doubt he would have fitted the cockpit. This reminds me of British pilots transitioning to American fighters in WWII, where they would comment that the Americans had large, roomy cockpits in their craft. (likely the P-47?)

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Yes adelaide a/c museum parafield.mirage 111. Cockpit too small I'm 193cm 103kgs

[@stevenhoman2253]

@@Eric-kn4yn There is only so far you can pull your head in and raise your knees, especially if you expect to eject, keeping any of your limbs. A fellow, I know, was a former USAF F-16 pilot till his retirement. He was fairly diminutive, but that is an advantage in G-lock situations, I believe. He flew them for well over 20 years and still loves them. (it being one of my secret loves, too.) Another aircraft that is astonishingly small, in the flesh, is the English Electric Canberra bomber. It usually makes a showing at the Melb. Int. Air Show just inside the entrance. A remarkable aircraft in every way, and the roles it could fulfil, leaving it to become the only aircraft the proud Americans have ever been forced to purchase from a foreign supplier. Tremendous range and altitude, sans a refuelling ability; with a camera and/or bomb capacity.(Boscombe Downs to Washington, DC @ 50,000 ft without being spotted on radar) At a comfortable enough pace, for Wing Commander and senior test pilot Beaumont at the stick.

[@Jusuff]

​@@stevenhoman2253 The Americans bought the Harrier too

[@pd4165]

Yorkshire aircraft museum - well worth a visit. I suspect that they 'landed' (ho-ho) the IV by dint of being a French RAF Bomber Command Squadron base in WWII - operating Halifaxes (obviously, since they're in Yorkshire 🤪 ). A fair amount of the museum is given over to preserving this heritage - but lots of planes there too.

[@servicekid7453]

Yes that’s exactly the reason why Elvington has a Mirage IV - the only example on public display outside of France. The French Air Force has maintained close ties with Yorkshire Air Museum in memory of their squadrons who flew from there during WW2. The Mirage IV was delivered to Elvington by a French Air Force pilot whose father had flown from the base during the war

[@paulkirkland3263]

Beautiful aircraft. I've yet to get to Elvington to see their example, but will do this year.

[@afischer8327]

Beautiful, yes, but resulting from the aerodynamic design of the time, like the Lockheed F-104, although this Dassault Mirage IV was perhaps the most elegant of them all. Also with area ruling. The Fairey Delta 2 also might compete - I will look at your video of that aircraft now. I have subscribed. Keep the videos coming, and best wishes to you and all your subscribers and commenters.

[@lenfirewood4089]

There was a Fairey Delta 3 which was a twin engined jet version of the record breaking Fairey Delta 2 which in my view looked a lot better than the EE Lightening and a lot more like the sleek Mirage fast jet line. Sadly Duncan Sands axe fell and left Fairey with a big dilemma because it's expected immediate customer was to be our armed services and when that got ruled out effectively so did any cash projections to realistically justify the cost of continuing development.

[@mikepette4422]

Always wanted to see some videos on this plane. Its an interesting idea for sure.

[@mitchellreece3711]

My dad said these dont turn nearly as well as an F18 but are faster in a straight line

[@gagounet83]

The mirage 4 is a bomber, not a fighter

[@ABIXTA]

96/08 escadron de reconnaissance Gascogne BA 118 , i was there , and i had the privilleige to sit in the cockpit once !a beautiful bird !

[@minhthunguyendang9900]

Mr. Ed Nash, can you make a video on the 1st French jet plane of the post war era, the ‘Espadon’ ? Thank you !

[@Idahoguy10157]

Note that the US govt gave tacit approval of France’s independent nuclear force by the sale of the KC-135 aerial tankers

[@53jed]

Dassault pinched the Mirage concept from the discarded Fairey Delta. Unaccountably, the British Labour government at the time decided Great Britain didn't need military forces in the cold war. Or industry, business, transport, or any of the things that put the great into Great Britain.

[@zanderlabuschagne2368]

Very nice. I have always thought it was just a prototype because I've known about the IV but hardly saw any photos of it, but now I know.