Француздық Mystère IV: Тарихи ұрыс машинасы

Fighter bomber aircraft family, first transonic aircraft of the French Air Force

The Dassault MD.454 Mystère IV is a 1950s French fighter bomber aircraft, the first transonic aircraft to enter service with the French Air Force. It was used in large scale combat in the Israeli Air Force during the 1967 Six Day War.

The Mystère IV was an evolutionary development of the Mystère II aircraft. Although bearing an external resemblance to the earlier aircraft, the Mystère IV was in fact a new design with aerodynamic improvements for supersonic flight. The prototype first flew on 28 September 1952, and the aircraft entered service in April 1953. The first 50 Mystere IVA production aircraft were powered by British Rolls Royce Tay turbojets, while the remainder had the French built Hispano Suiza Verdon 350 version of that engine.

Israeli Mystère IVs saw action during the Arab–Israeli wars and were joined by the French Mystères for the Suez crisis.

France was the main operator of the Mystère IV and at the peak usage operated 6 squadrons. Most of the aircraft were purchased under a United States Offshore Procurement contract and many were returned to US custody after they were retired. On 29 October 1956, when Israel attacked Egypt in the opening move of what became known as the Suez Crisis, invading the Sinai Peninsula, the Mystères of 101 Squadron were deployed on both air to air and ground attack missions. On 30 October the Mystère IV got its first kill when eight aircraft fought 16 Egyptian Air Force MiG 15s. The Mystères shot down one MiG while a second MiG and one of the Mystères were damaged. On the next day, two Mystères engaged claimed four Egyptian De Havilland Vampires shot down, with another MiG 15 and a MiG 17 claimed later that day. Israeli Mystères flew a total of 147 sorties during the war, for the loss of a single aircraft, shot down by ground fire on 2 November. A second squadron, 109 Squadron was equipped with the Mystère IV in December 1956, Israel planned to replace the Mystère IV with the Douglas A 4 Skyhawk, but 109 and 116 Squadron still operated the French fighter on the outbreak of the Six Day War. The Mystère was used as a ground attack aircraft during the war, flying 610 sorties, claiming three Arab aircraft (two MiG 17s and a Jordanian Hawker Hunter) shot down for the loss of seven Mystères, five to ground fire and two by enemy fighters (one by an Egyptian MiG 21 and one by a Jordanian Hunter flown by PAF pilot Saiful Azam). The Mystère was finally retired from Israeli service on 18 March 1971.

India procured 104 aircraft in 1957 and used them extensively in the Indo Pakistani War of 1965. On 16 September 1965 a Mystère IVA shot down a Pakistani L 19. On 7 September an Indian Mystère was damaged in the air by a Pakistani Lockheed F 104 Starfighter in a raid over Sargodha. The much faster Starfighter inadvertently accelerated in front of the Mystère and was shot down. Both the Mystère and the Starfighter crashed. The Pakistani pilot was able to eject and parachute down safely but the Indian air force pilot Devayya died in the crash and was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously, 23 years after the battle. During the beginning of this offensive a PAF F 104 shot down an Indian Air Force Mystère IV with one of its AIM 9 Sidewinder missiles making the first combat kill with a Mach 2 capable aircraft.

60 – Dassault Mystère at the Israeli Air Force Museum.

70 – Dassault Mystère at the Midland Air Museum in Coventry. 79 – Dassault Mystère at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum in Flixton. 83 – Dassault Mystère at the Newark Air Museum in Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire. 121 – Dassault Mystère at the City of Norwich Aviation Museum in Horsham St Faith, Norfolk. 146 Dassault Mystère at the North East Land, Sea and Air Museums in Sunderland. 318 – Dassault Mystère at the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum in Dumfries, Scotland.

57 – Dassault Mystère IVA at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona.