After the success of the Ouragan, Dassault was working on a more advanced machine based on it, which would take to the air in early 1951 as the "MD 452 Mystere (Mystery) I". 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...

The first prototype Mystere I was essentially an Ouragan with a 30-degree swept wing and modified tail surfaces. Two further prototypes followed, powered by the Rolls Royce Tay 250 centrifugal-flow turbojet, an improved version of the Nene, built under license by Hispano-Suiza, and rated at 28.0 kN (2,850 kgp / 6,280 lbf) thrust.

These three Mystere I prototypes led to two "Mystere IIA" prototypes, powered by the Tay and armed with four Hispano 20 millimeter cannon; and then four "Mystere IIB" prototypes, which traded the four 20 millimeter cannon for two 30 millimeter DEFA revolver-type cannon. A Mystere IIA was the first French aircraft to break Mach 1 in controlled flight (in a dive), on 28 October 1951.

The eleven pre-production machines that followed were designated "Mystere IIC", nine of which were fitted with the SNECMA Atar 101C axial-flow turbojet, rated at 24.5 kN (2,500 kgp / 5,510 lbf) thrust, while two were experimentally fitted with the afterburning Atar 101F, with afterburning thrust of 37.3 kN (3,800 kgp / 8,380 lbf).

Specifications (MD 452 Mystère IIC)

wingspan 13.1 m (42 ft 9 in)

wing area 30.3 m² (326 ft²)

length 11.7 m (38 ft 6 in)

height 4.26 m (14 ft)

empty weight 5,225 kg (11,495 lb)

max loaded weight 7,475 kg (16,480 lb)

maximum speed 1,060 km/h (660 mph, 575 knots)

service ceiling 15,250 m (50,000 ft)

range 885 km (550 statute miles, 480 nautical miles)

The AdA ordered 150 Mystere IICs, with the first production machine flying in June 1954, and delivered in October of that year. The production aircraft featured the twin 30 mm DEFA cannon, an Atar 101D turbojet with 29.4 kN (3,000 kgp, 6,615 lbf) thrust, increased tail sweep, and revised intake trunking and internal fuel tank arrangement. Top speed was 1,030 km/h (640 mph) at low level. Details of external stores are unclear, but a reasonable assumption would be that they were similar to those of Ouragan. 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The last Mystere IIC was delivered in 1957, by which time the type was already being relegated to advanced training duties. Aircraft design was moving at a breakneck pace in the 1950s and even as the Mystere IIC was becoming operational, the better Mystere IVA was flying. The Mystere IIC was very much an interim type, though it did persist in the training role until 1963. 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

There were no foreign buyers for the Mystere II. As noted, the Israelis wanted to buy 24 but changed their minds and bought Mystere IVAs instead. Sources do not hint that the Mystere II was ever used in combat.

There was only a single "Mystere III", or more precisely "Mystere IIIN", derived from experiments with the Ouragan. One of the original Ouragan prototypes had been built as a demonstrator for a night fighter, with a solid nose containing air intercept radar and the air intakes moved to the side of the aircraft, under the cockpit. It was fitted with twin 30 mm DEFA cannon and designated "MD 350-30-L", with the "30" meaning the 30 mm guns and the "L" meaning the lateral intakes.

The modified Ouragan retained its single-seat configuration. It was intended to lead to a two-seat night fighter, the "MD 451", but the development of the Mystere II made it more attractive to develop a two-seat version of the Mystere II instead.

See also

Dassault Ouragan

Reference

The initial version of this article was based on a public domain article from Greg Goebel's Vectorsite. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...