Dassault Super Étendard

The Super-Étendard is an attack aircraft by Dassault Aviation; it was developed to operate from the French navy’s aircraft carriers in the 1970’s. 

The Étendard is/was operational with the French and Argentinean Navy and some flew for the Iraqi air force in the conflict with Iran in the 80’s. 

The French Étendard are capable to drop the Nuclear Air Sol Moyenne Portee missile, the export versions do not have this option. 

The last Étendard in the French Navy will be phased out by 2010; they will be replaced by the new Dassault Rafale M. 

Étendard in action: 

The Argentinean Étendards were successful against the British Navy in the Falkland War, sinking 2 ships with Exocet missiles and badly damaging a third. 

In the Iraq-Iran war 5 Étendards with Exocets of the Iraqi air force operated successfully against Iranian tankers in the Gulf. 

The last version of the Dassault Étendard (SEM) joined NATO in operations above Kosovo, and with Operation Enduring Freedom.

 

Developing Nation:	France
Task:	Carrier strike Fighter
First Flight:	- Etendard IV: July 24th 1956- Etendard IVM: October 28th 1974 (Super Etendard prototype)
First Delivery:	1977
Crew:	1
Wing Span:	9.60 m
Wing Area:	28.4 m²
Length:	14.31 m
Height:	3.86 m
Engine (s):	SNECMA Atar 8K-50 turbojet (49.0kN) 1x
Weight:	6910 kg
Max.Take off weight:	12000 kg
Max. Speed:	1180 km/h
Max. Range:	Combat radius with one Exocet and two drop-tanks: 910 km
Service ceiling:	13500 m
Weapons:	- Two internal 30 mm DEFA cannons- up to 4500 kg of weaponry on two under fuselage, and four underwing hardpoints. Rocket pods, bombs, laser guided bombs, Magic AAM’s, one Exocet or one ASMP stand-off nuclear missile

Countries that use(d) the Super Étendard:

Iraq:             5

France:       71

Argentina:  11

Caudron-Renault CR760

The CR760 was first presented as the C 715 by Marcel Riffard in 1937, originally intended to be powered by a new Renault 16 cylinder air cooled engine that was being developed. Because the new Renault was not available yet at the time the design team decided to replace it for a similar engine from Isotta-Fraschini.

The fuselage of the CR760 was formed as a welded steel tube, with a two spar wooden wing with stressed plywood skinning. The first test flight was made early in May 1940, but the prototype had to be destroyed in June of the same year to prevent the Germans to get hold of it.

Developing Nation:	France
Manufacturer/designer:	Caudron-Renault / Marcel Riffard
Task:	Lightweight fighter
First Flight:	early May 1940
First Delivery:	-
First Operational:	-
Crew:	1
	Caudron-Renault CR760
Wing Span:	8,97 m
Wing Area:	12,50 m²
Length:	8,89 m
Height:	2,90 m
Engine (s):	12 cylinder iverted-Vee Isotta-Fraschini Delta R.C.40 with 730 hp (air-cooled line-engine
Weight:	1548 kg
Max. Take off weight:	2000 kg
Max. Speed:	555 Kph at 4900 m
Max. Range:	1200 km
Weapons:	6x 7,5 mm MAC 1934 M 39 Machineguns in underwing trays.
Extra:	The prototype was destroyed at Orléans-Bricy on June 11th 1940 to prevent it falling into German hands.

Dassault Dornier Alpha Jet

The Dassault Dornier Alpha Jet is a French / German jet trainer and strike aircraft. The French version is a trainer, and the German version primarily a strike aircraft. The Alpha Jet is a twin engine aircraft with a high-site, moderately wing. 

German Alpha Jets were flown almost exclusively as single-seat close support weapons trainer, or battlefield reconnaissance aircraft. Weapons load and avionics do not match those of more advanced jets, but the Alpha Jet is maneuverable, easy to fly and simple to maintain. It’s equipment allows it to obtain great efficiency when planning and executing missions. 

The Head Up Display (HUD) saves the pilot from looking down in the cockpit to read the instruments, by superimposing data on a clear plate mounted at the pilot’s eye level.

The naviagtion and fire control computers are rather precise and permit a great flexibility on attack missions, the use of AFA computer makes it simpler, quicker and more efficient to plan a mission. There is also other equipment that allows the crew members to have a good combat survivability.

NB. The Alpha Jet A has a ’sharper nose’ then the Alpha Jet E 

Developing Nation:	France and Germany
Task:	Trainer / strike and close support
First Flight:	- Alpha Jet A: January 9th 1974 (D-9594)- Alpha Jet E: October 26th 1973 (F-WZRO)
Prototypes:	- Alpha Jet A:02/D-9594 (ff: January 9th 1974)04/D-9595 (ff: October 11th 1974 crashed 23 January 1976)- Alpha Jet E: F-WZRO (ff: October 26th 1973) F-WZRV (ff: May 6th 1974 )
First Delivery:	- French Air Force: May 4th 1979- Luftwaffe: March 20th 1980
Crew:	2
Ejection seat:
Wing Span:	9,11 m
Length:	- Alpha Jet A: 13,23 m- Alpha Jet E: 12,29 m
Height:
Engine (s):	- Alpha Jet A: GRTS (SNECMA Turbomeca) Lazarc 04-C20 (2x)- Alpha Jet E: GRTS (SNECMA Turbomeca) Lazarc 04-C6 (2x)
Weight:	3515 kg
Max.Take off weight:	6100 kg
Max. Speed:	917 km/h
Max. Range:	- Just on internal fuel: 2780 km (1900 liters)- With extra external fuel: 4000 km (extra 600 liters)
Operation altitude:	14630 m
Weapons:	- Mauser BK.27 cannon or DEFA 553 gun-pod- AIM-9 Sidewinder- R.550 Magic II- AGM-65 Maverick - GP Bombs - Hunting BL755 cluster bombs -Matra RL F4 - Rockets & Bomb rack SUU 20A - BLG-66 Belouga - Bombs MK82 ‘Snake Eye’ - Exercise bombs MK106 - Bombs BLU-1CB
Extra:

Countries who use(d) the Alpha Jet: 

Belgium	33 Alpha Jet E
Cameroon	7 Alpha Jet MS2
Egypt	30 Alpha Jet MS1 & 15 MS2
France	175 Alpha Jet E
Germany	175 Alpha Jet A
Ivory coast	12 Alpha Jet E
Maroc	24 Alpha Jet E
Nigeria	24 Alpha Jet E
Portugal	50 Alpha Jet A **
Qatar	6 Alpha Jet E
Thailand	20 Alpha Jet A **
Togo	5 Alpha Jet E
United Kingdom	12 Alpha Jet A **

** Ex German Air Force