On this day, in 1952, the Mystère IV made its first flight at Melun-Villaroche, with Kostia Rozanoff at the controls.
On August 2, 1951, the Corporation secured a contract for the production and provision of an MD 452 Mystère IV derived from the Mystère II capable of reaching Mach 1 in a dive, although production was not envisaged.
A new wing was designed. Compared to the Mystère II, it had a biconvex profile with a greater sweepback (38° as against 30°) and lower relative thickness ratio (7,5 % as against 9 %). The narrower fuselage was circular in section in the fore and aft, with a wide-base pear-shaped central body.
The Mystère IV 01 was equipped with a centrifugal Rolls Royce Tay engine, this being more powerful and more reliable than the axial Atar engine which the Air Force preferred but had still not completed its development.
The maiden flight of the Mystère IV 01, piloted by Kostia Rozanoff, took place at Melun-Villaroche, on Septembre 28, 1952. It lasted 25 minutes. Using the same jet engine as the Mystère II, it reached Mach 0.92 (against 0.87) flying horizontally. On its 34th flight, on 17 January, 1953, it broke the sound barrier nose down.
Manage my cookies