Dassault Super Mystère
| Company type | Fighter-bomber aircraft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Founder | Dassault Aviation |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Supersonic fighter-bomber aircraft |
The Dassault Super Mystère represents a French supersonic fighter-bomber and holds the distinction of being the first Western European supersonic aircraft to be produced extensively.
Design and development
The Super Mystère marked the peak of development from the Dassault Ouragan lineage through the Mystère II/III and Mystère IV models. Unlike its predecessors, which only achieved supersonic velocity during dives, the Super Mystère was capable of breaking Mach 1 in level flight. This advancement was made possible by adopting a thinner wing with a 45° sweep angle (compared to 41° on the Mystère IV and 33° on the Mystère II) along with an afterburner-equipped turbojet engine.
The initial Super Mystère B.1 prototype, powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon RA.7R engine, conducted its maiden flight on 2 March 1954 and successfully surpassed the sound barrier in straight and level flight the following day.
Production began with the Super Mystère B2 (SMB2), which entered operational service in 1957 featuring a more powerful SNECMA Atar 101G engine. A total of 180 units were manufactured.
In 1958, two B.4 prototypes were introduced with wings swept at 48° and equipped with a SNECMA Atar 9B engine capable of reaching Mach 1.4; however, production ceased as the faster Dassault Mirage III became operational.
During 1973, both the Israeli Air Force and Honduras Air Force modernized their SMB2 fleets by installing non-afterburning Pratt & Whitney J52-P8A engines, extending tailpipes, and updating avionics systems. In Israeli service, these upgraded aircraft were designated as the IAI Sa'ar (meaning "storm" in Hebrew).
France
From May 1958, the SMB2 was deployed across three fighter squadrons: the 5th, 10th, and 12th. The French Air Force retired its last SMB2 in November 1977 when the 1/12 Cambrésis squadron ended its nearly two decades of operation with this type. Around fifteen aircraft were subsequently transferred to Rochefort for use at an air technical training school. Aircraft number 90 12-YQ was allocated to the Cité de l'Air Military Training Center located at Chartres-Champhol Air Base.
Israel
The Israeli Air Force procured 24 Super Mystères in 1958. These jets participated in the contentious USS Liberty incident and were actively engaged during both the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, suffering six losses in combat.
Israeli aviators appreciated the Super Mystère for its capabilities, regarding it as a formidable adversary against enemy MiG-19 fighters during aerial dogfights.
Honduras
Honduras acquired twelve Super Mystère airframes from Israel in 1976, supplemented by an additional four in 1979. These aircraft supported border skirmishes against Sandinista Nicaragua until they were replaced by twelve Northrop F-5E jets in 1996. One example is preserved at the Honduras Air Museum, while the remaining units were sold off as surplus.