@ Paris, France
April 2025
A sleek Dassault Mirage F1C exhibited at the fantastic Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace (Museum of Air and Space), located on the outskirts of Paris, one of over 200 aircraft displayed here. The F1C model was a multi-role fighter variant with air-to-air capability along with a light strike role. Introduced in 1973, the F1 was intended to replace the Mirage III in French service, also competing with the General Dynamics F-16 for export sales. Use a shoulder-mounted swept wing, instead of the delta wing of the Mirage III, resulted in a 50% reduction in takeoff distance and increased internal fuel tankage for 40% greater combat range. In 2014 the last French Mirage F1s were retired from service, replaced by the Mirage 2000.
