Dassault Mirage IIIE
Dassault Aviation · France · first flew 1961 · fighter
The Dassault Mirage IIIE is the single-seat multirole and strike version of the Mirage III delta-wing fighter. It differs considerably from the earlier IIIC interceptor.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Forward fuselage lengthened by 300 mm over the IIIC to house a larger avionics bay behind the cockpit |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tailless delta wing with a single tall fin and rudder, and no horizontal tailplane
- Forward fuselage lengthened by 300 mm over the IIIC to house a larger avionics bay behind the cockpit
- Many aircraft carry a Doppler navigation radome under the fuselage below the cockpit
A small delta-winged fighter with a pointed nose and side intakes. It is slightly longer in the nose than the IIIC, and many examples have the ventral Doppler radome.
Specifications
- The Dassault Mirage IIIE has a length of 15.03 m (49 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.22 m (27 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 2350 km/h (1460 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The first of three prototypes flew on 5 April 1961, and the first production aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force on 14 January 1964. The forward fuselage was extended by 300 mm, which enlarged the avionics bay and fuel capacity.
Variants
The two-seat IIIBE and IIID were trainer versions, and the IIIR reconnaissance models used the IIIE airframe. Australia built a derivative as the IIIO and Switzerland as the IIIS.
Where you'll see it
The French Air Force received 192, and by 1971 the IIIE had become the most widely exported version of the Mirage III.
Related aircraft
- Dassault Balzac V
- Dassault Mirage IIIC
- Dassault Falcon 20
- Dassault MD 410 Spirale
- Canadair CF-104D
- F-4B / F-4C Phantom II
- HAL HF-24 Marut
- McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II
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