Whatif Dassault hadn't smashed...

[Archibald]

Whatif... Dassault  had no monopole in the 60's 70's.

In 1958, Dassault imposed as the only fighter aircraft constructor in France. Its two main competitors were Breguet and the publics firms, named SNCASO. Sadly, their planes (Vautour and later, Jaguar for Breguet) were crushed by Dassault. So, whatif there had three military aircraft maker in France in the 70's?

In 1958, the only fighter bomber of the public firms was the Sud Aviation (ex SNCASO/ SNCASE) Vautour. This plane was replaced in the tactical role by the Mirage IIIE and on the strategic role by the Mirage IV. Both were supersonic at high altitude;  the main problem was the future was low level bombing at high subsonic or transonic speed. This mean that a two seater Vautour could have replaced both Mirage IIIE and IV, permiting public firms to compete with Dassault right into the 70's. In 1970 all the public firms were merged in Aerospatiale, so the Vautour would have become the Aerospatiale Vautour  (sounds great, no?). Evolutions of the Vautour include Atar 8K50 of 5000kgp of thrust without reheat, Mirage IIIE all-weather attack weapon-system. The Vautour had an enormous bomb bay, so he could have carried the AJ-168 missile family quite easily. More, the Vautour could have become a pure ECM plane, in F4G or EF-111 style (name RAGEL for Reconnaissance, Attaque Guerre Electronique Lointaine). Other evolutions include antiship with Agave/Anemone radar and AM-39 Exocet missiles.

Concerning Breguet, this firm had drawn a naval mach2 fighter for the Aeronavale. Sadly, it was too expensive so it was replaced by Etendard IV in the ground attack role and Crusader in the interceptor role.
The Aeronavale bought 42 Crusader and 71 Etendard IV... if the Breguet had been adopted as amultirole fighter, this mean for Breguet a contract for 113 naval fighter bombers... the plane name was the Sirocco.
With such a contract, Breguet would have been very busy at the beginning of the 60's... this mean
-   no Jaguar with Great Britain
-   no takeover by Dassault in 1967

So in 1972 we have three constructors with three planes, the Dassault Mirage III, Breguet Sirocco and Aerospatiale Vautour... There's no Jaguars, no French Crusader, no Etendards or Super Etendard, no Mirage IV and no Mirage IIIE!
The Mirage F1 exists, but it is strinkingly similar to the Sirocco (this is  a pure coincidence!)

Sadly, in 1975, Breguet has too much difficulties so Dassault buy it, replacing the sirocco by the F1FM (just for you, PD7!!) with M53 engine. The last Breguets left the French Navy in june 1978...
But Aerospatiale is well decided to keep on with the Vautour concept (and the government push it, not to let Dassault alone). As a consequence in 1977 appears the Aerospatiale Faucon wich is an enterely new plane. Powered by two unreheated M-53 of 6500kgp of thrust, its a tow-seater with an Antilope V radar and ASMP in the bomb bay. This plane is adopted as interim nuclear bomber waiting for the Mirage 4000N. Later, Aerospatiale become part of the Typhoon program, when Dassault refused in august 1985. So France is now engaged in two major programs
-   on one hand, Dassault still make Mirage F1 for the French navy and AdA, Mirage 4000 nuclear bomber and interceptor
-   on the other hand, Aerospatiale is firmly engaged in the EFA program (later Typhoon).
This mean that from 1960 to our days, Dassault is NEVER in monopolistic situation... In 2005, the firm "survive" by upgrading the F1E and 4000 sold worlwide, and also invest in the Neuron UCAV, way of the future... in european cooperation, of course!

As the Sirocco is very similar to the F1, it would'nt be too difficult to make one starting from Heller Mirage F1C (just change the wing and tail, add a Mirage IV V-windshield canopy, and SEM camo). This is my next whatif model (with
CL-1200 Lancer and Blackburn P.141 British multirole fighter of the 70's)

[Zen]

Fascenating stuff Archi!

It would really be nice if there was a equivilent to Tony Butlers books for France.

[Archibald]

Merci... the books you talk about exists! Our Tony Buttler was Jean Cuny (sadly he died in 1992) who was former NOSA in a Mirage IV. The books are "les avions de combats francais 1946-1960". As in Buttler's book, there's two books, one concern the fighters, others the "heavy" fighters, bombers and experimental. I have just ordered the second, waiting to have more money for the first . I think I could scan some interesting projects if you or other persons are interested