Dassault Balzac V

Dassault Aviation · France · first flew 1962 · fighter

The Dassault Balzac V was a French experimental VTOL aircraft that served as a technology demonstrator for the Mirage IIIV supersonic vertical takeoff and landing fighter programme, featuring eight small lift engines embedded in the fuselage alongside a main propulsion engine. It was based on a modified Mirage III airframe.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, delta
E — Engines	4 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Multiple lift jets embedded in fuselage for vertical takeoff
T — Tail	No tailplane

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Spot it by:

French VTOL experimental delta-wing research aircraft
Multiple lift jets embedded in fuselage for vertical takeoff
Technology demonstrator for the Mirage IIIV programme (real lift engine count: 8)

Identified by its delta wing and tailless Mirage layout combined with the distinctive rows of lift jet exhaust nozzles on the upper fuselage — unlike any production fighter aircraft.

Specifications

The Dassault Balzac V has a length of 13.1 m (43 ft).
It has a wingspan of 7.3 m (24 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1104 km/h (686 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in conventional flight in October 1962 and achieving its first vertical flight in October 1963, the Balzac V provided vital data for the larger Mirage IIIV programme. The aircraft was destroyed in two separate accidents during testing, killing its pilots.

Variants

Only one Balzac V prototype was built, subsequently rebuilt after the first crash; the lessons learned fed into the Mirage IIIV design.

Where you'll see it

Operated only as an experimental test aircraft by Dassault and French government agencies; never intended for operational service.

Related aircraft

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