Mirage 4000 And the F-15

[Mosamania]

Discussion based threads are minimal in this forum I have noticed. So I thought I might kick start a knew trend because discussions on military related subjects is always a great fun to be had and a great knowledge source as well.

Mirage 4000 and The F-15​

Mirage 4000

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 18.70 m (61 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 12.00 m (39 ft 4 in)
Height: 5.80 m (19 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 73.0 m² (785 ft²)
Empty weight: 13,000 kg (29,000 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × SNECMA M53-2 afterburning turbofans, 95 kN (22,000 lbf) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 2,445 km/h (1,320 kn, 1,519 mph)
Range: 2,000 km (1,100 NM, 1,200 mi)
Service ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft)

F-15

General characteristics
Crew: 1: pilot
Length: 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)
Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.05 m)
Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.63 m)
Wing area: 608 ft² (56.5 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 64A006.6 root, NACA 64A203 tip
Empty weight: 28,000 lb (12,700 kg)
Loaded weight: 44,500 lb (20,200 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 68,000 lb (30,845 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F100-100 or −220 afterburning turbofans
Dry thrust: 17,450 lbf (77.62 kN) each
Thrust with afterburner: 25,000 lbf for −220 (111.2 kN for −220) each
Fuel capacity: 13,455 lb (6,100 kg) internal[93]
Performance
Maximum speed:
High altitude: Mach 2.5+ (1,650+ mph, 2,665+ km/h)
Low altitude: Mach 1.2 (900 mph, 1,450 km/h)
Combat radius: 1,061 nmi (1,222 mi, 1,967 km) for interdiction mission
Ferry range: 3,450 mi (3,000 nmi, 5,550 km) with conformal fuel tanks and three external fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (20,000 m)
Rate of climb: >50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
Wing loading: 73.1 lb/ft² (358 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 1.12 (−220)

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Once upon a time in the 1980s. Saudi Arabia was interested in two jets to serve as the frontline air superiority fighter. Those two were the French Mirage 4000 and the American F-15 Eagle.

After shoves tugs and hugs the choice in the end was in favor of the F-15 but lately I have been researching and reading left and right about the Mirage 4000 and I wonder if the right choice have been made at that time.

So do you believe the RSAF have made a right choice of acquiring the F-15 instead of the Mirage 4000?? Note at the time the Morage was offered with ToT and a certain degree of joint production but Saudi Arabia had to fund the entire project in return. However the F-15 was ready for delivery at the time.

 

[sohaib91]

i think F-15 is better than mirage

 

[forcetrip]

Considering the Suadi F15's were never used against Iraq the better call would have been the Mirage. But History is spilled milk, nothing to gain but to call your cat to clean it up.

 

[ushikra]

Once upon a time in the 1980s. Saudi Arabia was interested in two jets to serve as the frontline air superiority fighter. Those two were the French Mirage 4000 and the American F-15 Eagle.

After shoves tugs and hugs the choice in the end was in favor of the F-15 but lately I have been researching and reading left and right about the Mirage 4000 and I wonder if the right choice have been made at that time.

So do you believe the RSAF have made a right choice of acquiring the F-15 instead of the Mirage 4000?? Note at the time the Morage was offered with ToT and a certain degree of joint production but Saudi Arabia had to fund the entire project in return. However the F-15 was ready for delivery at the time.

Military purchases, esp. expensive ones also involve a Political Process equal in share to any parallel technical appraisal and cost/benefit analysis. Mirage might have been better, or F-15 equally better but slightly cheaper, but in the end US was closer to the Saudis than the French, methinks

 

[satishkumarcsc]

Well F 15 has served in different airforces for the past 3 decades and Mirage 4000 was just a concept....kinda hard to compare them.

 

[Sinnerman108]

It really does not matter much these days.

BVR is the name of the game, the aircraft hardly ever sees action.

 

[alimobin memon]

Mirage 4000 was almost rafale in aerodynamics later new intake and bigger movable canard were the changes in designs

 

[Audio]

Mirage 4000 was almost rafale in aerodynamics later new intake and bigger movable canard were the changes in designs

lol, no. The 4000 represented a dead end. the Rafale was shaped much like the abandoned joint project with former Yugoslavia called "Novi avion".

More like Rafale, no?

 

[Xracer]

Nooooo Joke F-15 is better than mirage But as they say It was only a Prototype so who Knows Also F15 looks way better than Mirage 4000

 

[Mosamania]

Considering the Suadi F15's were never used against Iraq the better call would have been the Mirage. But History is spilled milk, nothing to gain but to call your cat to clean it up.

Actually a Saudi F-15C shot down two iraqi mirages and two iranian F-4s. So they did their purpose. However i am wondering if the mirage would have done it better.