Mirage IVA Buddy Refueling-Anyone have anything?

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Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 451

I read that in addition the the C-135F tankers, Mirage IVAs would deploy in teams.One carrying an AN-22 bomb and the other with external tanks and a buddy refueling system.I've never seen a picture of this system or of Mirage IVs buddy refueling.I'm wondering if its a buddy pod like the Super Etendard or Rafale would carry,or more of a semiconformal installation in the space normally occupied by the bomb or the recce pod.I'm trying to make a profile of a tanker equipped Mirage IVA ,so any and all info would be welcomed. Thanks in advance

Original post

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 630

Not exactly what you want, but I did find these very rare pictures at www.mirage4p.com:

http://www.mirage4p.com/slides/Historique/histo7.jpg

http://www.mirage4p.com/slides/Historique/histo10.jpg

Those are the only pictures I've ever seen of a Mirage IV with bombs.;)

Member for

14 years 3 months

Posts: 116

Hello

I never heard of such a (developped/tested/operationnal) system on the Mirage IV, even in my (little) book about the plane.
It says :
"On étudia la possibilité de développer un Mirage IV ayant la capacité de ravitailler un autre Mirage IV, mais cette solution multipliait le problème, un Mirage IV ravitailleur devant lui-même être ravitaillé."
=> "Studies were made about the possibility of developing a Mirage IV having the ability to refuel another Mirage IV, however this solution multiply the problem, as a tanker Mirage IV would have himself needed being refueled."

I understand that this was never built, nor tested.

The book also says that :
"Consideration was also refueling by SO 4050 Vautour A and Vautour B with a Douglas' refueling pod, but this required two to four Vautour mobilized for a single Mirage IV.
The obvious conclusion was that the only fast and economic solution was the U.S. plane KC-135 Stratotanker A, widely used by the U.S. Air Force."

@ H_K : This book also contains a number of pictures of the plane, with different kind of bombs (nuclear, mock-up, dumb bombs, training bombs...) and other payloads.
If you're interested :
Hervé Baumont, GAMD Mirage IV : du bombardement à la reconnaissance stratégique, Histoire & Collections Editions, Paris 2007, 66 pages, ISBN: 978-2-35250-024-7

Cheers,
Az'

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 4,951

I did see buddy refeuling via a Vatour somewhere out there.