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A couple of years ago ... i worked 6 month on the runways for those guys who were riding F1, it was great, i always loved those planes, i know they are not the best and of course they're pretty old now but i still like them a lot .
The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French single-seat air-superiority fighter and attack aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation as a successor of the Mirage III family. The Mirage F1 entered service in the French Air Force in the early seventies. Powered by a single SNECMA Atar turbojet providing about 7 tonnes of thrust, the F1 has been used as a light multipurpose fighter and has been exported to about a dozen nations. More than 700 F1s have been produced.[1]. Among the second generation European supersonic fighter (ie, among those built in the sixties and early seventies) the F1 was the most successful, most significantly because almost all of its users have used it in wars and regional conflicts.
Design and development
Dassault designed the Mirage F1 as the successor to its Mirage III and Mirage 5 fighters. Unlike its predecessors, it has a swept wing mounted high on the fuselage, as well as a conventional tail surface.
The first prototype, which was developed by Dassault using its own funds, made its maiden flight on 23 December 1966.
The type was officially accepted by the French Air Force in May 1967, at which time three further prototypes were ordered. With the greater thrust of its afterburning SNECMA Atar 9K-50 turbojet, the F1 easily outclassed the Mirage III.
Although it has a smaller wingspan than the Mirage III, the F1 nevertheless proved to be clearly superior to its predecessor. It can carry up to 40% more fuel, has a shorter take-off run, a superior range in lo-lo missions, and better maneuverability.
In order to comply with the French Air Force's requirement for an all-weather interceptor, the first production Mirage F1C was equipped with a Thomson-CSF Cyrano IV monopulse radar. The later Cyrano IV-1 version added a limited look-down capability.
General characteristics
* Crew: 1
* Length: 15.33 m (50 ft 3 in)
* Wingspan: 8.44 m (27 ft 8 in)
* Height: 4.49 m (14 ft 8 in)
* Wing area: 25 m² (270 ft²)
* Empty weight: 7,400 kg (16,000 lb)
* Loaded weight: 11,130 kg (24,540 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,700 lb)
* Powerplant: 1× SNECMA Atar 9K-50 afterburning turbojet
Performance
* Maximum speed: Mach 2.3 (2,573 km/h, 1,600 mph) at 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
* Combat radius: 425 km (229 nm, 265 mi)
* Ferry range: 2,150 km (1,160 nm, 1,335 mi)
* Service ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft)
* Rate of climb: 215 m/s (42,300 ft/min)
* Wing loading: 450 kg/m² (91 lb/ft²)
* Thrust/weight: 0.64
Armament
* Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons with 150 rounds per gun
* Rockets: 8× Matra rocket pods with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets each
* Missiles: 4× AIM-9 Sidewinders OR Matra R550 Magics, 2× Super 530Fs, 2× AM-39 Exocets, 2× AS-30L
* Bombs: 14,000 lb (6,300 kg) of payload on five external hardpoints, including a variety of bombs, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks
