 | | MDFSD8 Scaled Down #8 Dassault Mirage 2000B/2000C/2000D/2000N and international versions.
Dassault Mirage 2000B/C/D/N The delta wing Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine fourth-generation aircraft, designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter based on the iconic Mirage III for the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air). Since then the Mirage 2000 evolved into a true multirole platform with several variants developed and has been sold to a number of nations. The variants include the Mirage 2000C fighter and Mirage 2000D and Mirage 2000N strike variants, and the improved Mirage 2000-5, and the proposed 2000-9. Over 600 aircraft were built, and it has been in service with nine nations. The Mirage 2000 has proven a capable performer under extreme combat conditions and has seen action across Europe, the Middle East and in North Africa as a part of the NATO contingent enforcing the ‘No-Fly Zone’ over Libya. Despite the aircraft currently being replaced by the much more advanced Dassault Rafale, the Dassault Mirage 2000 still plays a role in operations of the French Air Force today - and with other air forces around the world. Mirage 2000 fighters in currently operation with the French Air Force are the Mirage 2000C/B single seater the Mirage 2000N and the upgraded Mirage 2000NK3, designed for all weather nuclear penetration at low altitude and very high speed. Also in service is the Mirage 2000D, an upgraded version of the Mirage 2000N, for automated bombing using conventional and laser guided munitions, and the Mirage 2000-5, incorporating advanced avionics, new sensors and control systems. The Mirage 2000 has nine hardpoints for carrying weapon system payloads - five on the fuselage and two on each wing, and these include the BGL 1000 laser-guided bomb, AS30L, Armat anti-radar missile, AM39 Exocet anti-ship missile, Apache standoff weapon, and the stealthy cruise missile, the Storm Shadow/SCALP. The aforementioned French Mirage 2000NK3 aircraft can also carry the ASMPA medium-range air-to-ground missile. ASMPA has a tactical nuclear warhead and replaced the ASMP missile. The single-seat version is also armed with two internally mounted, high-firing-rate 30mm guns. Air-to-air weapons include MICA air-to-air missiles, and the Magic 2 missiles, the MBDA Super 530D missile or the Sky Flash. The Mirage 2000 gained export success with sales to Greece, Brazil, Qatar, Peru, Taiwan, India, the UAE and Egypt. Brazil retired its Mirage 2000s in 2013, however, the type remains in service around the world with many being upgraded to new standards. The success of this iconic Dassault delta is lavishly brought to life in this new MDF Scaled Down book which will provide information and inspiration for the modeller and enthusiast alike. By Andy Evans More |
Aircraft books |
Catalogue | £14.99 | |
 | | Douglas A3D Skywarrior. by Charles Stafrace
Never glamorous and not receiving the recognition showered on its deck mates, the shipboard Douglas A3D Skywarrior will be remembered by U.S. Navy fans and historians for many reasons, most of all because it figured prominently in the Cold War crises of the late 1950s and early 1960s, culminating in the Vietnam War that dragged on until the mid-1970s. The Skywarrior will also be remembered for its longevity, the first examples having shared deck space with FJ Furies aboard Second World War-vintage carriers in the 1950s, and the last examples mingling with F-14 Tomcats on nuclear-powered Nimitz Class carriers in 1987. However, this magnificent aircraft, affectionately known as the 'Whale', achieved fame in roles different from that for which it had been designed. After its strategic nuclear bomber role faded owing to changed U.S. Navy and Pentagon policies, the Skywarrior excelled in other roles entrusted to it such as aerial tanking and electronic jamming, electronic and photoreconnaissance, vital tasks which it carried out faithfully in the first line of battle for several years from 1965 onwards. Indeed, the RA-3B version was also used during the 1991 Operation Desert Storm. Some examples were converted into bombardier trainers and VIP staff transports, while others found their way
to experimental establishments and aerospace companies as testbeds for various systems and weaponry until
2011, resulting in many strange nose shapes and radomes. The Skywarrior will be recorded, too, as being the heaviest jet aircraft to ever operate from any U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. It served with several types of squadrons - VAH, VAQ, VAK, VAP/VCP, VQ and VR. All versions and squadrons, both shipboard and land-based, are listed in this new Warpaint series by Guideline Publications, written by Charles Stafrace and illustrated by Richard J Caruana. Apart from the usual detailed text that describes each version and its operational service, several other tables are included in this profile, including production serials, versions lists, squadron use and Appendices giving detailed data on each Skywarrior cruise, specifications, and the 1962 type re-designation of U.S. Navy aircraft. No fewer than 200 B&W and colour photos, many of which are being published for the first time, illustrate the various versions of this versatile aircraft. More |
Aircraft books |
Catalogue | £19.00 | |