Dassault Mirage 4000

1979

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Dassault Mirage 4000

Developed as a private venture, the Mirage 4000 was designed to fulfil both interception and low-altitude penetration roles, and was fundamentally a scale-up of the Mirage 2000. The prototype, originally known as the Super Mirage 4000, was flown on 9 March 1979, achieving Mach=1.6 during its first flight and Mach=2.2 five weeks later, on 11 April, during its sixth flight. Powered initially by two SNECMA M53-2 turbofans with afterburning thrust of 8500kg, the Mirage 4000 introduced a number of advanced features, including the extensive use of boron and carbonfibre composites for structures, and computer-derived aerodynamics and a fly-by-wire active control system making possible a rearward CG. Built-in armament consisted of two 30mm cannon and external ordnance loads in excess of 8000kg could be distributed between 11 external stations. The single prototype was re-engined with M53-5 turbofans with afterburning thrust of 8790kg during the course of its flight test programme. No production contract was placed for the Mirage 4000, but in 1986, the prototype was re-engined with M53-P2 engines and participated in the Rafale programme.

Dassault Mirage 4000

Specification 
 MODELMirage 4000
 ENGINE2 x SNECMA M53 turbofans, 10000kg
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan12.0 m39 ft 4 in
  Length18.7 m61 ft 4 in
  Wing area73.0 m2785.76 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed2333 km/h1450 mph
  Ceiling20000 m65600 ft
  Range w/max.fuel3700 km2299 miles
 ARMAMENT2 x 30mm cannons, weapons on ten hardpoints

3-View 
Dassault Mirage 4000A three-view drawing (1673 x 1197)

Dassault Mirage 4000

Comments
Saul Pressman, e-mail, 11.04.2023 03:47

Excellent aircraft, superior to Typhoon.

reply

Teddy Kendrick, e-mail, 08.11.2023 Saul Pressman

Definitely wasn’t superior to the EF-2000 but is definitely a beautiful and powerful aircraft of its era.

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Jorge, e-mail, 01.04.2023 02:33

Hola a todos, estoy buscando información acerca de los tipos de tanques de combustible externos que podía portar el M-4000. Especialmente los de mayor capacidad (2,500 litros /660 Galones), que me parece que están en las fotos del M-4000 en la feria aeronáutica de Le Bourget. Desearía saber el tipo de RPL-... Lo necesito con el fin de hacer maquetas del M-4000 en 1 /144 y en 1 /72, por lo que si tendrían la posibilidad de incluir diagramas en tamaño real de las escalas 1 /144 y 1 /72, les estaría muy agradecido. Si lo pueden enviar a mi correo, seria mucho mejor. Muchas gracias de antemano.

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moez, 22.04.2010 18:40

i think it is good some one should give a try

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Grib, e-mail, 20.02.2010 07:56

Don't be fool by it sexy look, nobody in France is actually regretting this jet. It was an expensive Air Interceptor, which did not correspond to our defence needs at the time.
If we went on with the development of this plane we would have waste a lot of money for a too specialized plane will everybody were already developing 5th generation aircraft. We wouldn't have the much more versatile Rafale and we would be stuck with 4 or 5 specialized aircraft instead of replacing them all with only one.
Don't forget that the Rafale has already replaced the Jaguar, the Crusader and will replace the Super etandard, the Mirage F1 and the Mirage 2000.

So the Mirage 4000 is indeed a beautiful jet but it was before all a phantasm from Dassault and I am please that for once our politics took the right decision and did not let the defence industry lobby influenced them.

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Naseby, e-mail, 05.06.2008 21:07

Great site by the way. The Mirage 4000 shows again the French willingness to proceed and give priority to their country's and indeed countrymen's needs azhead of the political correctness /abandonment in the UK, in their going in with other nations. France may have not poroceeded but there will as power is there. although they're not famed for winning a lot, in various wars, they understand what their counrty needs and wants, unlike our poliicians in the UK, who should have produced indigenous fighter /combat aircraft down the years.

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Dr. Nick Stage--PHD., e-mail, 09.11.2007 20:44

This superior jet aircraft, the SUPER-Mirage 4000,
should have been MASS-produced.
It is almost, about 92% of the "specs" AND performance
of the USAF F-15E "Super-Eagle" and the Russian SU-27K
and Su-30KK "Flanker" interceptors.

In fact, this writer, that's me, actually wrote to Dassault
in France, asking for a SUPER-SUPER-Mirage-4000.
I called it the 'Ultra-Mirage-5000', and would the components
found in both the New F-15K "Super-Super-Eagle, and the
new USAF "Raptor"--the NEWER-than-new F-22A "Super-Raptor".

France would have been EQUAL to the United States, and
ahead of Russia, by 5-to-8 years, if the Super-Mirage
4000--and it's variant, the Ultra-Mirage 5000, had been
built, en masse.
Former French Presidents Mitterand and Chirac "blew it" for
France's chance for REAL equality in air power,
aerospace technology, and SALES,with the the scrapping of
the Super-Mirage 4000 aircraft, as well as the scapping
of the planned 4-man "Hermes" mini-space shuttle
program, and along with the scrapped ARIANE-5 /6 super
rocket Booster program, that would have a rocket
booster producing 5,500,000 Lbs. of thrust; next
only the old Saturn-5 Booster--8,000,000 Lbs of thrust.

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Maverick Charlie, e-mail, 17.06.2007 21:59

I feel satisfied with this aircraft. It's a real multi role fighter aircraft. Indian Air Force can make a right decision by including MIRAGE 4000 in its fleet.

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Maverick Charlie, e-mail, 17.06.2007 21:53

I feel satisfied with this aircraft. It's a real multi role fighter aircraft. Indian Air Force can make a right decision
by including MIRAGE 40000 in its fleet.

reply

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