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Dassault started work on vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) at the beginning of the 1960s and decided to modify the original Mirage III-001 prototype for VTOL research. The aircraft's Atar 101 was replaced by a 2270kg Bristol-Siddeley Orpheus 3 engine for forward propulsion, while eight 1000kg Rolls-Royce RB.108s provided vertical lift. These lift engines featured retractable intake grilles and the exhausts were covered by fairing doors during normal forward flight.
After tethered hovering trials, the Balzac - as it was renamed - made its first free hovering flight on October 13, 1962 and its first transition on March 18, 1963. Its career was interrupted by a crash landing on January 10, 1964 but it was subsequently repaired and flew again. The Balzac provided Dassault with a great deal of information on stabilization in hovering flight and led to the Mirage IIIV.
 | A three-view drawing (800 x 470) |
Gordon McKinzie, mckinzie10(@)comcast.net, 05.06.2008
I was in Villaroche with the USAF Test Team from Edwards AFB when the Balzac crashed in September 1965, killing our pilot, Maj. Phillip Neale. It was suspected that a faulty fuel proportioner caused the engines to flame out. It was unfortunate to end the career of this little airplane so soon, as the direct thrust lift concept had a lot of potential, as has later been proven.
Antoine Thierry Poitrenaud, poitrenaud(@)yahoo.fr, 06.04.2007
My Uncle, Rene Bigand, flew the Balzac V on several occasions; and alluded the TWO crashes that occurred AFTER his first trial flights of this doomed aircraft.
Experiments must take place to advance developement; however this aircraft was not easily transitional from helicopter to flying aircraft.Rene Bigand was killed in 1967 not flying the Balzac; but, another Dassault aircraft. This aircraft is very pretty; but should be "parked" forever. Thierry Poitrenaud
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Do you have any comments concerning this aircraft ?
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