VTOL has always been the most desirable model pursued by fighter jet designers, and although it always backfired, there are many successors who continue to work on it. To this day, this technology is not a universal technology. It also remains in the hands of a very small number of countries. Among these aviation powers, France is in a different way. There are always great breakthroughs in some areas. This type is a very excellent type of development model with a variety of developments.
October 12, 1962, the first tethered flight of the aircraft In the 50s of the 20th century, the French Air Force and aviation industry were constantly looking for new ways to improve the combat capabilities and combat stability of tactical aviation. The most interesting and promising direction of development is considered to be the creation of short-range or vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The first aircraft of this type was the Dassault Balzac V.
In the event of a full-scale armed conflict, airfields will become a priority target for a potential adversary, and their defeat will lead to the withdrawal of most of the air force from the war. Therefore, it is necessary to study how to disperse tactical aviation on alternate sites and ensure normal operation there.
By the end of the 50s of the 20th century, the concept of a vertical take-off and landing fighter appeared and gained support. Such an aircraft can solve all the main tasks, but does not need a long runway. Dassault, in collaboration with several other organizations, has worked on the concept of vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOLs).
Dassault considered two main scenarios for potential aircraft. One scheme, based on the ideas of British aerospace engineers, proposed to use a single lift-cruise turbojet engine with a special nozzle device, which could create vertical and horizontal thrust. The second scheme consisted of separate cruising turbojet engines for horizontal flight, while take-off and landing should be provided by a set of small lift engines.
On October 18, 1962, the first free vertical take-off studies and laboratory tests showed that with the same thrust characteristics, the mass of the two power plant schemes would be similar. The single-engine solution offers fuel savings of up to 30%. At the same time, a separate turbojet engine made it possible to avoid the use of complex and unreliable steering nozzles, as well as simplify the layout of the aircraft. In addition, the failure of one or more lift engines does not lead to an immediate crash.
For further implementation, a separate scheme of lift and cruise engines was adopted. Using these ideas, it was decided to improve the existing Dassault Mirage III fighter, and the new project received the designation "III V" (vertical). Work on the project began in 1960.
On October 18, 1962, the Mirage IIIV prototype made its first free vertical takeoff at Eastres-LeBland Airport near Paris, France. The plane rises from the ground to an altitude of 100 feet in two minutes. Subsequently, it made a short horizontal flight before landing safely. This achievement marks a significant advance in VTOL fighter technology.
The success of the Mirage IIIV laid the groundwork for later vertical take-off and landing fighters such as the Harrier and the F-35B.
The Mirage IIIV fighter is planned to use cruise engines with a thrust of 9000 kg produced by SNECMA and 8 lift engines with a thrust of 2500 kg each produced by Rolls-Royce. However, the test models of these engines were not expected to be delivered until 1964, so Dassault had to adjust its plans.
In order not to lose time, Dassault decided to develop an experimental VTOL fighter with a new scheme using existing engines. Since the thrust of these engines did not exceed 1000 kg, the size and weight of the testing machine had to be limited. In order to save costs, it was planned to build the new VTOL fighter on the basis of the Mirage III-001 prototype.
Balzac V transitioned from hovering to horizontal flight in later experimental projects, and it received its own name Mirage Balzac V. The letter "V" comes from the main project, and the origin of the name "Balzac" is interesting. The code name "001" of the testing machine reminded someone of the ** number of a well-known advertising agency in Paris - balzac 001.
The R&D work of Balzac V was carried out with the participation of several organizations. Dassault was responsible for the overall coordination of the project and was responsible for the development of the wing and some general aircraft systems. Sud **iation was responsible for the aircraft fuselage based on Mirage III, while Snecma was responsible for developing the jet control system. Bristol Siddeley and Rolls-Royce offer two types of engines.
From the very beginning of the design of the project, various ground tests were carried out on a regular basis. This made it possible to determine all the characteristics of the aircraft in a timely manner, as well as to solve a number of problems. In the long term, this should help to simplify the trials of the experimental VTOL and the further development of the Mirage III V fighter.
According to the project plan, the Mirage Balzac V is a low-wing tailless aircraft that is similar in appearance to other aircraft in its family. For the installation of the lift engine, it was necessary to reassemble the fuselage and increase the section of the ** section. The triangular wing remained virtually unchanged from the existing project, retaining the standard mechanized and box-shaped tanks.
In the tail of the fuselage was installed a thrust turbojet engine Bristol Siddeley Bor.3 Orpheus thrust is 2200 kg. Eight Rolls-Royce RB108-1A engines with 1000 kg of thrust were installed in pairs on either side of the main engine's air intakes. Their air intakes are located on the roof of the fuselage and are covered by movable shutters. A nozzle window was reserved under the fuselage that could be closed. The lift engine leans back slightly.
In horizontal flight, the standard steel wire and rigid lines of the "Mirage-3" were retained. In hover mode, all three channels use aerodynamic rudders driven by compressed air from the lift engine. Nozzles are installed on the wings and fuselage.
The aircraft retains the three-point retractable landing gear, but it has been reinforced to take into account the load during vertical landing. In the early stages of the tests, non-standard landing gear, which did not need to be retracted, was used.
The length of the Balzac V aircraft is 131 meter, with a wingspan of 73 meters with a static height of 46 meters. The empty weight exceeds 61 ton, the maximum take-off weight is 7 tons. Expect a maximum speed of up to 2m;Only 1100 kmh was achieved in the trial. The fuel tank has a capacity of 1500 liters;In the case of vertical take-off and landing, it is enough to fly for 15 minutes.
To take off, the pilot had to start the main engine, and then use compressed air to start the lift engine. By increasing the thrust of the lifting device, the aircraft must rise to a height of at least 30 meters before allowing horizontal acceleration. At a speed of 300 km h, it is possible to retract the landing gear and turn off the lift engine.
The vertical landing was carried out in reverse order. At a flight speed of 300-320 km, the lids of the lift engines should be opened, which will cause them to automatically rotate and allow starting. Then it is possible to begin to reduce the horizontal speed and switch to hovering, and then land.
The Mirage Balzac V project was completed at the end of 1961, and in January 1962, the Dassault company began assembling a prototype VTOL. The machine was ready in May, and the first ground tests took place in July. Thanks to a large amount of pre-research and testing, the preparation of flight tests was completed ahead of schedule.
On October 12, 1962, the first take-off took place at Milan's Villaros Airport. Test pilot Rene Bigan lifted the plane at a distance of several meters, inspected the main systems, and proceeded to land. On October 18, a second hovering flight was carried out without insurance. Then several flights were made and the aircraft was shown to the **. After that, in mid-November, the aircraft was sent for modification, and it was planned to install a standard landing gear, parachute and other components.
The flight only resumed in March 1963. This time, it was a horizontal take-off and landing. On March 18, the first vertical take-off was carried out, after which it switched to horizontal flight and landed in the manner of an "airplane". The trial went well and various data were collected. In addition, in the same year, the "Balzac-V" was presented at the Le Bourget air show.
The first Mirage III VOn January 10, 1964, pilot Jacques Pinet was on a flight with the aim of checking the aerodynamic rudders. While hovering at an altitude of 100 meters, the VTOL lost stability and thrust and subsequently began to descend uncontrollably. At a very low altitude, the plane flipped and crashed. The pilot died.
It was decided to repair the damaged aircraft, which took about a year. On February 2, 1965, flight tests continued. Over the next few months, 65 flights were carried out, including VTOL and VTOL, transition modes, and more. Overall, a comprehensive structural and functional study has been carried out, and pilot training processes have also been developed.
On October 8, 1965, another test flight was carried out with U.S. Air Force pilot Philip Neil in the cockpit. While hovering at an altitude of about 50 meters, the plane suddenly lost control and began to fall. The pilot ejected in time, but the parachute did not open at a high enough height. The pilot died, the plane was badly damaged when it fell, and it was decided not to repair it.
Despite two accidents, which resulted in the death of the pilot and the loss of the prototype, the Mirage Balzac V project was recognized as successful. With the help of a mock-up and an experimental aircraft, it was possible to carry out all the necessary studies in different aircraft and to verify the proposed concept of an aircraft using separate lift and thrust engines.
Balzac used the structure of the Mirage III, widening the fuselage to accommodate eight Rolls-Royce RB108 engines, which were located in pairs around the aircraft's center of gravity and flanked by the Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 3 main engines without afterburner. The cockpit is not pressurized or air-conditioned, but is equipped with oxygen and Martin Baker Mk 3 ejection seats.
Balzac made his first flight on October 13, 1962, when it was only stationary and secured with a cable. The first transition to horizontal flight took place on March 18, 1963. However, on January 10, 1964, on the 125th flight, the aircraft was in a stationary flight at an altitude of 100 meters, suddenly lost control and crashed, resulting in the death of test pilot Jacques Pinier.
The plane was rebuilt and flew again on February 2, 1965. Throughout the test flight program, at least five French pilots and one American pilot flew on the plane. Colonel Neil is part of an information exchange agreement between France and the United States regarding VTOL aircraft.
Although the Mirage IIIV was already in the experimental phase, the formula of a hybrid propulsion engine and multiple vertical lift engines was doomed to failure. The complexity of operating 9 engines, excessive fuel consumption, and the required maintenance logistics made it unusable for combat and use in harsh areas where technical support was lacking.
Using the results of Balzac V's research, the final version of the Mirage III V project was formed. The construction of the first aircraft of this type was completed at the beginning of 1965, and the first flight took place on December 2. Although the Mirage VTOL aircraft did not enter service, two forward-looking projects left a significant mark on the history of French aviation manufacturing.
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