"Mystère IV" vest

Origins and context

On August 2, 1951, the Company was awarded a contract to build and supply an MD 452 Mystère IV aircraft derived from the Mystère II, capable of reaching Mach 1 in a dive, but with no plans for mass production. The fuselage, which was more streamlined, with a circular cross-section at the front and rear, had a pear-shaped central section with a wide base. The Mystère IV 01 was equipped with a Rolls Royce Tay centrifugal jet engine, which was more powerful and reliable than the Atar axial jet engine preferred by the military but whose development was not yet complete.

The first flight of the Mystère IV 01, piloted by Kostia Rozanoff, took place at Melun-Villaroche on September 28, 1952. It lasted 25 minutes. With the same engine as the Mystère II, it reached a maximum level speed of Mach 0.92 (instead of 0.87) and, on January 17, 1953, on its 34th flight, it broke the sound barrier in a dive.

The first Mystère IV A delivered to the Air Force was received by the 12th Wing in Cambrai on May 25, 1955. It was on this basis that the first aerobatic team equipped with the new aircraft was formed. On July 14, 1955, twelve of its aircraft flew over the Champs Elysées.