Earlier this year Romain Lucas of France wrote asking for information and photos
of the Dassault Mirage 4000 for an FS2002 project he was working on. I sent him what
I thought would be the most useful images of this unique aircraft. As the
project nears completion, Romain has sent a few new images of the aircraft along
with a description of the development. As a side note, for another perspective
on the Mirage 4000 see the article
(l'article) by Michel Gérard. For an update on the project, click here.
Romain sent the image to the right in February. It shows the work
at an early stage without smoothing. "I began to work on it at the end of
January. Nicolas Joubert had contacted me to make the 4000, he was working
on flight dynamics."
"At that time, I didn't know that GMax existed! When I discovered this wonderful
tool, I knew that I could really do something good. As I knew FSDS very well since
the time I used it, I made all the 3D with this software. I needed a lot of photos
at this time."
"Then, I had to learn how to use GMax. It took me a long, long time.
After that, I imported the file in GMax and I made the animations (gear, flaps,
slats, ailerons, canards, airbrakes, wheels, canopy). I made the textures
based on photos but not photorealistic."
"The 4000 has canards that the other deltas like the 2000 don't have. One of the
interesting canard configurations is to increase pitch up moment at low speed in order
to allow a small elevator down deflection. The advantage is to increase lift
coefficient unlike delta wings which have reflexed elevators at low speed."
"My biggest regret is that I haven't been able to make an afterburner but I haven't
abandoned it yet! For the afterburner, the problem is complex. GMax doesn't
have display conditions like FSDS that allows showing parts at high rpm. I may
link an afterburner flame to the throttle but it's not very nice and in addition, the
rpm is not linked to the throttle position -- you have to wait a few seconds for the
afterburner after you push the throttle to the max. I've never seen one jet made
with GMax on the web that has an afterburner, so I'm not very optimistic."
"Finally I worked on the VC (virtual cockpit). I hope I'll be able to do a DVC
(Dynamic VC). To make the VC and the panel, I based my textures on the wonderful
photos of the Mirage 2000 cockpit taken by
Antoine Grondeau.
"About the panel, as I'm not a programmer, making gauges was a true problem. So at your suggestion
I'm working with Eric Marciano. Eric was pleased to take part in the project
because he likes the Mirage 4000 very much." For more information on the panel
visit Eric's website.
"I saw the real 4000 at the Bourget but it was so many years ago that I couldn't remember
any details. What is great with FS is that you can fly aircraft very rare; you could
fly at Meigs when it was closed, you can even keep the World Trade Center if you want.
The 4000 was very interesting: powerful, rare, and very French!"
Project Update - July 2002
"Our Mirage 4000 is soon finished but we have decided to wait again one or two weeks before
releasing it. I enclosed the new files so you can see the improvements which were made
in particular for the panel. Eric has done a wonderful job : an interception radar
is now available ( it works with FSUIPC ), the multi functions screen with autopilot, radios,
etc., works perfectly too. There is also the new flight dynamic. It is nearly
perfect. The model is certainly not very different from the one you have already.
I've done minor improvements on fuselage shape and shading." - Romain Lucas
