NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Dassault Mercure

Dassault Mercure was a twin-engined jet-powered French airliner. It was proposed in 1967, first production flight was in 1973 and last flew in 1995. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 527 pixelsFull resolution (1024 Ã— 674 pixel, file size: 123 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Air Inter was an airline based in France. ... The de Havilland Comet 1 G-ALYP A jet airliner is any airliner powered by jet engines. ... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet of the UK defence technology organisation QinetiQ Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... Marcel Dassault, born Marcel Bloch, (Paris, 22 January 1892 - Neuilly-sur-Seine, 17 April 1986) was a French aircraft industrialist. ... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Air Inter was an airline based in France. ...

History

In 1967, backed by the French government, Dassault decided to propose a competitor to the Boeing 737. This would attack this market segment by the upper end, with a 140-seat jetliner, compared to the 100-seat -100 and the 115-seat -200 Boeing 737 variants then in production. This aircraft would be an opportunity for Dassault to show the civilian market its knowledge of high-speed aerodynamics and low speed lift capability previously developed by producing a long line of jet fighters, such as the Dassault Ouragan, Dassault Mystère and Dassault Mirage aircraft. Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... The Boeing 737 is the worlds most popular short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body airliner. ... The Boeing 737 is the worlds most popular short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body airliner. ... Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... Dassault Ouragan was an aircraft designed during World War II. Although the French, as citizens of an occupied country, were not able to contribute significantly to the great strides made in aircraft design made during World War II, after the war Marcel Dassault saw no reason why the French could... The Dassault MystÃ¨re was a French fighter aircraft. ... Former South African Air Force Mirage IIICZ The Dassault Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed in France during the 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. ...

Marcel Dassault, founder and owner of Dassault, decided to give the airplane the name Mercure (French for Mercury). "As I wanted to give this airplane the name of a mythology god, I could only find one that had wings on his helmet and his feet, therefore the name Mercure," Marcel Dassault said. Extremely modern computer tools for the time were used to develop the wing of the Mercure 100. Even though it was larger than the Boeing 737, the Mercure 100 was the faster of the two. In June 1969, a full scale mock-up was presented during the Paris Airshow at Le Bourget airport. On April 4, 1971, the prototype Mercure 01 rolled out of Dassault's Bordeaux-Merignac plant. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-11 (6800kg of thrust). The first flight took place in Merignac on May 28, 1971. The second prototype, which was powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 (the engine which would be used on all subsequent Mercure built), flew for the first time on September 7, 1972. On July 19, 1973, the first production airplane made its maiden flight. On September 30th, 1974, the Mercure 100 was certified for Category IIIA approach all-weather automatic landing (minimum visibility = 500ft, minimum ceiling = 50ft). This plane, built with Dassault's spirit, was nicknamed "Air Inter's fighter" by Air Inter's pilots. The Mercure 100 was also the first commercial airplane to be operated by a 100% female crew on one of its flight. Marcel Dassault, born Marcel Bloch, (Paris, 22 January 1892 - Neuilly-sur-Seine, 17 April 1986) was a French aircraft industrialist. ... Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... A sculpture of the Roman god Mercury by 17th-century Flemish artist Artus Quellinus. ... The Boeing 737 is the worlds most popular short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body airliner. ... The Paris Air Show (Salon International de lAéronautique et de lEspace, Paris-Le Bourget) is an international trade fair for the aerospace business. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Pratt & Whitney is an American aircraft engine manufacturer whose products are widely used in both civil and military aircraft. ... The Pratt & Whitney JT8D jet engine was introduced by Pratt & Whitney in February 1964 with the inaugural flight of the Boeings 727. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Pratt & Whitney is an American aircraft engine manufacturer whose products are widely used in both civil and military aircraft. ... The Pratt & Whitney JT8D jet engine was introduced by Pratt & Whitney in February 1964 with the inaugural flight of the Boeings 727. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Air Inter was an airline based in France. ... Air Inter was an airline based in France. ...

Dassault tried to attract major airlines to its product, and several regional airlines, by touting the Mercure 100 as the replacement for the Douglas DC-9. A few airlines showed some initial interest, but none placed an order, other than Air Inter, a domestic French airline. This lack of interest was due to several factors, including the devaluation of the dollar and the oil crisis of the 70's, but mainly because of the Mercure's operating range—suitable for domestic European operations but unable to sustain longer routes. At maximum payload, the aircraft's range was only 400 miles. Consequently, the Mercure 100 achieved no foreign sales. With a total of only 10 sales with the one of the prototypes refurbished and sold as the 11th Mercure to Air Inter, the airliner represents the worst failure of a commercial airliner in terms of aircraft sold. The number of sales is less than other poor selling aircraft such as the Concorde (14 produced, 20 including prototypes and preproduction aircraft), the VFW-Fokker 614, Convair 880 and 990, Vickers VC-10, Tupolev Tu-144 and the Boeing 747SP. Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... The Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engined jet airliner, first manufactured in 1965 and, in much modified form and under a succession of different names. ... Air Inter was an airline based in France. ...

It has been suggested that Dassault did not research the commercial aircraft market with sufficient depth, and that this is the reason for the Mercure's range shortfall. In actual fact, if anything Dassault researched things too well, and didn't spend enough time talking with potential customers. The primary reason for the range shortfall came in an examination of how aircraft such as the BAC 1-11, Boeing 737 and Douglas (later McDonnell Douglas) DC-9 were used, including an exhaustive study of the segments (flights) they were used on. Perhaps the military background Dassault had caused them to overlook the point, but while an airline might fly a 737 between, say Los Angeles and San Francisco (about 500 miles/800km), unlike a military aircraft, the commercial aircraft was not refuelled after every flight. Researchers who worked on the primary studies and discussed route planning for the Mercure at Dassault in the late 1960s and early 1970s have mentioned that this was an aspect of airline operations they never considered. And it proved to be the Achilles heel of an otherwise very good aircraft.

After the commercial failure of the Mercure 100, Marcel Dassault asked his engineers to develop a new version of the Mercure, the Mercure 200C. This airplane, studied in cooperation with Air France, was to carry 140 passengers with a range of 2200km. Several major airlines in the United States showed some interest in the project. However, the project design costs were also high. This might have been mitigated if the original Mercure had a larger fuel capacity or sufficient design strength so that additional fuel tanks could have been easily added. Marcel Dassault, born Marcel Bloch, (Paris, 22 January 1892 - Neuilly-sur-Seine, 17 April 1986) was a French aircraft industrialist. ... Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is an airline based in Paris, France, a subsidiary of Air France-KLM Group and is the international flag carrier of France. ...

At the beginning of 1973, a financial agreement was created with the French government to finance this program. Dassault was to receive a loan of 200-million French Francs from the French government, which would be paid back based on sales after the 201st airplane delivered. But Air France wanted an airplane powered with the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-117, which were quieter but larger than the JT8D-15. Dassault needed an additional loan of 80-million French Francs from the government to accommodate Air France's request. The French government replied to Dassault that it had to carry half of the development costs of the Mercure 200C on its own, which was impossible after the commercial failure of the Mercure 100. The Mercure 200C project was then cancelled. Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is an airline based in Paris, France, a subsidiary of Air France-KLM Group and is the international flag carrier of France. ... Pratt & Whitney is an American aircraft engine manufacturer whose products are widely used in both civil and military aircraft. ... The Pratt & Whitney JT8D jet engine was introduced by Pratt & Whitney in February 1964 with the inaugural flight of the Boeings 727. ... The Pratt & Whitney JT8D jet engine was introduced by Pratt & Whitney in February 1964 with the inaugural flight of the Boeings 727. ... Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is an airline based in Paris, France, a subsidiary of Air France-KLM Group and is the international flag carrier of France. ... Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ...

Later, in order to answer a request from the DGAC (French FAA), Dassault proposed a Mercure equipped with a new engine developed by General Electric/Snecma called the CFM-56; this version came to be known as the Mercure 200. In 1975, contacts were made with Douglas and Lockheed to build and sell the Mercure 200 in the US, and with SNIAS to build it in France. But Marcel Dassault was concerned about the fact that the CFM-56 had not had a single order yet, and might cease to be produced before the Mercure 200 could be built. Meanwhile, Douglas introduced a stretched version of the DC-9, which was in direct competition for orders with the Mercure 200. Contacts with Douglas logically ended at that point. Dassault then initiated contacts with General Dynamics, its primary competitor on the military jet market where the Mirage F1 was facing the F-16. But nothing would come out of these contacts. Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... This article is about the American company. ... Snecma was one of the worlds leading aerospace corporations which merged with SAGEM to form SAFRAN. Snecma is now a subsidiary of the SAFRAN Group and previous Snecma subsidiaries have been reorganised within the wider group. ... CFM International CFM-56 series engines is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines made by CFM International and has a thrust range from 18,500 to 34,000 lbf (82 kN to 151 kN). ... The Douglas Aircraft Company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. ... The Lockheed SR-71 was remarkably advanced for its time and remains unsurpassed in many areas of performance. ... Marcel Dassault, born Marcel Bloch, (Paris, 22 January 1892 - Neuilly-sur-Seine, 17 April 1986) was a French aircraft industrialist. ... CFM International CFM-56 series engines is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines made by CFM International and has a thrust range from 18,500 to 34,000 lbf (82 kN to 151 kN). ... The Douglas Aircraft Company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. ... The Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engined jet airliner, first manufactured in 1965 and, in much modified form and under a succession of different names, still in production today as the Boeing 717. ... The Douglas Aircraft Company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. ... Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) is a defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2005 it is the sixth largest defense contractor in the world[1]. The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War era of defense consolidation. ... The Dassault Mirage F1 is a single-seat air-superiority fighter and attack aircraft built by Dassault of France. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a modern multi-role jet fighter aircraft built in the United States and used by dozens of countries all over the world. ...

In 1981, Marcel Dassault tried to revive the Mercure program once more by selling production licenses in the US, with no success. Marcel Dassault, born Marcel Bloch, (Paris, 22 January 1892 - Neuilly-sur-Seine, 17 April 1986) was a French aircraft industrialist. ...

Some aeronautical rumors say that the Mercure 200 project and its drawing package was eventually sold or given by Dassault to Aérospatiale, which used it as a base for the design and development of the Airbus A320.^{[citation needed]} The cockpit design is completely different. Even the fuselage width and aircraft dimensions are different. The design philosophy that the aircraft's range should not be so limited to preclude sales was apparently learned as the Airbus A320, which has been a resounding sales success, is not hampered in this regard. Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... The AÃ©rospatiale Corvette first flew in 1970 and went into service in 1974. ... The Airbus A320 family of short-to-medium range commercial passenger aircraft are manufactured by Airbus S.A.S.. Family members include the A318, A319, A320, and A321, as well as the ACJ business jet. ...

Production

Hoping for mass production of the Mercure (the 300th airplane was planned to be delivered by the end of 1979), Dassault created four plants especially for the Mercure program: Martignas (close to Bordeaux), Poitiers, Seclin (close to Lille) and Istres. On January 30th, 1972, Air Inter ordered 10 Mercures, which had to be delivered between October 30th, 1973 and December 13th, 1975. Due to the lack of other orders, the production line was shut down on December 15th, 1975. Only a total of 2 prototypes and 10 production airplanes were built. One of the prototype (number 02) was eventually refurbished and purchased by Air Inter to add it to its fleet. Formerly named Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, the Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... Air Inter was an airline based in France. ... Air Inter was an airline based in France. ...

Canadair was one of a few sub-contractors involved in the early development of the Mercure. Canadair Sabre (Golden Hawks aerobatic team) display at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Mount Hope, Ontario Canadair was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. ...

Career

On April 29, 1995, the last two Mercures in service flew their last commercial flight. All Mercures are now retired with an impressive history: 360,000 flight hours, 44 million passengers carried in 440,000 flights, no accidents, and a 98% in-service reliability. is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Operators

Specifications (Mercure 100)

General characteristics

Performance

The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft is allowed to try to achieve flight. ... This section does not cite its references or sources. ... Schematic diagram of high-bypass turbofan engine CFM56-3 turbofan, lower half, side view. ... VNO of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of normal operation. ... Airspeed Indicator in a light aircraft The VC of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of cruising. ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft, or cross-country speed and environmental conditions in unpowered aircraft. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ...

Contents

History

Production

Career

Operators

Specifications (Mercure 100)

General characteristics

Performance

Related content

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Production

Career

Operators

Specifications (Mercure 100)

General characteristics

Performance

Related content

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

History