Dassault Balzac V
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 22, 1929 |
| Founder | Marcel Dassault |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
| Products | Military and civil aircraft |
The Dassault Balzac V was a French experimental aircraft from the early 1960s designed for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). Developed by Dassault Aviation, it originated from a prototype of the Mirage III and served to validate the design intended for the Mirage IIIV. Only a single example was constructed, which experienced two fatal accidents and was not restored following the second incident.
Design and development
Due to delays in the delivery of the Rolls-Royce RB162 lift engines intended for the Mirage IIIV until 1963, Dassault adapted the initial Mirage III prototype as a temporary VTOL test platform. This version incorporated eight Rolls-Royce RB108 lift engines, each generating approximately 9.83 kN (2,210 lbf) of thrust. The original Snecma Atar G.2 engine was substituted with a non-afterburning Bristol Siddeley Orpheus BOr 3 producing 21.57 kN (4,850 lbf). These lift engines were positioned in tandem pairs around the aircraft’s center of gravity adjacent to the main engine intake, with each pair separated by the landing gear compartments.
Operational history
The Balzac V commenced tethered hover trials on 12 October 1962 and achieved untethered hovering six days later, surpassing expectations by two months. Its inaugural transition from vertical lift to forward flight took place on 18 March 1963 during its seventeenth mission.
On 10 January 1964, during its 125th flight, the aircraft crashed while hovering at low altitude due to uncontrollable wing oscillations that exceeded the capabilities of its autostabilisation system. The left wing contacted the ground, resulting in a rollover. Test pilot Jacques Pinier was killed after failing to eject; however, structural damage to the airframe was minimal.
After reconstruction, the Balzac V resumed flying on 2 February 1965 but suffered another crash on 8 September 1965 during low-altitude hover testing conducted by United States Air Force Major P. E. Neale as part of a Franco-American VTOL collaboration. Neale’s ejection attempt failed outside the safe escape parameters. Investigations attributed the accident to hydraulic control malfunctions combined with excessive use of lift engines causing fuel starvation and flameout across all nine engines. Although damage was considered repairable, no further restoration took place since development of the Mirage IIIV had advanced beyond this stage.
The designation Balzac V originated from its serial number (001), which corresponded to the telephone number (BALZAC 001) of a Paris-based advertising firm.
Bibliography
- Breffort, Dominique and Andre Jouineau. "The Mirage III, 5, 50 and Derivatives from 1955 to 2000." Planes and Pilots 6. Paris: Histoire et Collections, 2004.
- Buttler, Tony and Jean-Louis Delezenne. X-Planes of Europe: Secret Research Aircraft from the Golden Age 1946-1974. Manchester, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2012.
- Cuny, Jean. Les avions de combat français, 2: Chasse lourde, bombardement, assaut, exploration. Ed. Larivière, 1989.
- Fricker, John. "Mirage might have beens 2: Balzac - Dassault's first VTOL variant." Air International, vol.45, no.5, November 1993.
- Green, William. Macdonald Aircraft Handbook. London: Macdonald & Co., 1964.
- Jackson, Paul. "Mirage III/5/50 Variant Briefing: Part I." World Air Power Journal, vol.14, Autumn 1993.
- Pérez, San Emeterio Carlos. Mirage: Espejismo de la técnica y de la política. Madrid: Armas 30, Editorial San Martin, 1978.