Super Mystère B2

The Dassault Super Mystère is a French supersonic fighter-bomber manufactured by Dassault Aviation. The aircraft entered production in 1957 and was assigned to French Air Force fighter squadrons starting in May 1958. It was the first Western European supersonic aircraft to enter mass production and was capable of exceeding the speed of sound in level flight.

Development

The Super Mystère evolved from earlier Dassault designs, progressing from the Ouragan through the Mystère II and Mystère IV series. The first prototype, designated Super Mystère B.1, took to the air on 2 March 1955 and broke the sound barrier in level flight the following day. The production version, known as the Super Mystère B2 or SMB2, entered production in 1957. Dassault built a total of 180 Super Mystère B2s. Two Super Mystère B.4 prototypes were built in 1958, but production was cancelled in favor of the Dassault Mirage III.

Design

The aircraft features a thin wing with a 45-degree sweep, an increase from the 41-degree sweep of the Mystère IV and the 33-degree sweep of the Mystère II. The production Super Mystère B2 is powered by a single SNECMA Atar 101G-2 afterburning turbojet engine, producing 33.3 kN of dry thrust and 44.1 kN with the afterburner engaged. This powerplant enables a maximum speed of Mach 1.12 at an altitude of 11,000 meters and a service ceiling of 17,000 meters. In 1973, the Israeli Air Force and Honduras Air Force upgraded their fleets with new avionics, an extended tailpipe, and a non-afterburning Pratt & Whitney J52-P8A engine.

Armament

The Super Mystère B2 is equipped with two 30 mm DEFA 552 cannons, each carrying 150 rounds of ammunition. The aircraft has four external hardpoints capable of carrying up to 2,680 kg of payload. Weapon configurations include two Matra rocket pods housing 18 SNEB 68 mm rockets each, two Rafael Shafrir air-to-air missiles, various bombs, reconnaissance pods, or drop tanks.

Operational History

In France, the SMB2 operated with the 5th, 10th, and 12th fighter squadrons from May 1958 until its retirement in November 1977. The Israeli Air Force acquired 24 Super Mystères in 1958, deploying them with 105 Squadron during the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, where six airframes were lost. Israeli Super Mystères were also involved in the attack on the USS Liberty. Honduras purchased 12 complete airframes from Israel in 1976 and four additional aircraft in 1979. The Honduran Air Force used the aircraft for air support during border skirmishes with Nicaragua before replacing them with Northrop F-5Es in 1996.

Variants

• Super Mystère B.1: The initial prototype powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon RA.7R engine.
• Super Mystère B2 (SMB2): The main production version equipped with a SNECMA Atar 101G engine.
• Super Mystère B.4: Two prototypes built in 1958 featuring a 48-degree swept wing and a SNECMA Atar 9B engine capable of Mach 1.4.
• IAI Sa'ar: Upgraded Israeli and Honduran aircraft equipped with a non-afterburning Pratt & Whitney J52-P8A engine, extended tailpipe, and new avionics.