Dassault MD 450 Ouragan
Dassault Aviation · France · first flew 1949 · fighter
The Dassault MD 450 Ouragan (Hurricane) was France's first operational swept-wing jet fighter, forming the foundation of Dassault's postwar military aircraft line. It was powered by a licence-built Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet and served with the French and Israeli air forces.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Straight-through fuselage with mid-set swept wing |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- First French-designed jet fighter with swept wings
- Single Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet with nose intake
- Straight-through fuselage with mid-set swept wing
A compact mid-wing jet with a circular nose intake, swept wings of moderate sweep, and a conventional tail. Smaller and rounder than the Mystère IV that succeeded it; Israeli examples sometimes carried additional recognition markings.
Specifications
- The Dassault MD 450 Ouragan has a length of 10.75 m (35 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.16 m (43 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 940 km/h (584 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in February 1949, the Ouragan entered French Air Force service in 1952. Israel acquired 75 aircraft and used them in combat during the 1956 Suez Crisis (Sinai Campaign), where they performed ground attack and air superiority missions.
Variants
The production Ouragan was essentially a single variant; the subsequent Mystère II and Mystère IV were developments that refined the swept wing and improved performance significantly.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the French Air Force and the Israeli Air Force (Chel Ha'Avir); French examples were retired by the early 1960s while Israel retained theirs somewhat longer.
Related aircraft
- Dassault MD 315 Flamant
- Dassault Mystère IV
- Dassault MD 454 Mystère IV
- Dassault Super Mystère
- Arsenal VG 90
- de Havilland DH.112 Venom
- De Havilland DH.113 Vampire NF
- de Havilland Venom FB.1
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