Catalogue No: | PM32410 |
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Picture Type: | Rochester Photo Negative |
Topic: | Head-Up Display [HUD] |
Title: | Milan/Mirage HUD system LRUs |
Platform(s): | |
Date: | 22 Feb 1977 |
Width (mm): | 127 |
Height (mm): | 102 |
Copies: | 1 |
Location: | Negatives Cabinet PM ("54/" Negs) [RAA Office] |
At the end of 1967, in response to the Swiss Air Force’s call for a tactical support aircraft even more manoeuvrable than the Mirage III. Dassault and the Fabrique fédérale d’Avions at Emmen decided to build small retractable canards into the nose cone of the Mirage. Mirage 5J n°2, christened “Asterix” for that cartoon’s character famous moustache, made its first flight at Melun-Villaroche on September 27, 1968. Various other Mirages were modified, and the aircraft was equipped with a weapons system based on the Jaguar with some new equipment elements. In 1972 the Milan was in competition with the Corsair II but in the end, Switzerland decided to prolong the life of its Hunters and buy Northrop F5. The contest nonetheless brought home the advantage of having a weapons system based on the use of an inertial computer and a HeadUp Display. Immediately on its return to France Marconi-Elliott was invited to fit the Milan with a HUD and Litton fitted their LTN-51 inertial platform. The HUDWAC was a derivative of the A-4 system with the expanded 4000-word memory in the Electronics Unit which gave a very comprehensive air to air and air to ground capability.