Dassault Mystere & Super Mystére
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Warpaint Series 148
Author: Andy Evans
Publisher: Guideline Publications
ISBN: 978-1916759275
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 40
Dassault’s post-war jet fighter production is a fascinating one as they started with one design from the late 1940s (the Ouragan) and continuously improved and evolved the design for a decade, with the final late-1950s Super Mystére variant operating with Honduras until 1996. This is an impressive record for an aircraft that was under continuous updating, and this new title in the Warpaint Series provides an excellent short overview of the swept-wing Mystére & Super Mystére variants.
To tell the whole story of the Mystére family, one needs to start with the Ouragan, and this book does just that. The Ouragan was a very successful design that saw combat operations with Israel, India, and El Salvador, but its straight wing meant its top speed was limited. This was the first Mystére variant change, adding a swept wing design to the basic Ouragan design. This Mystére I crashed, and follow-on versions added different engines and armament, resulting in the Mystére II. This type went through several iterations, from the IIA through IIC, but Dassault knew they could do better, which was the Mystére IV.
With over 400 built, the Mystére IV was the most common of all the Mystére variants, and the one that saw the most international usage. While resembling the Mystére II, it was actually a completely new design with changes needed for supersonic flight. That supersonic flight could only be achieved in a dive, though, which led to the Super Mystére design that could achieve those speeds in level flight. Both variants were solid performers in both the air-to-air role and as air-to-ground attack aircraft.
As a main fighter aircraft of the French Air Force and with some major usage by Israel and India, the Mystére was a colorful aircraft with lots of different marking options and camouflage schemes. This book highlights that through loads of photographs, most of which are in color, as well as the expected color profile illustrations. A set of detail photos and some scale drawings round out the book, packing a lot of information in its 40 pages.
For those interested in the less well-known early jets, this is a good reference for those initial swept-wing Dassault aircraft. The colorful schemes and interesting design, coupled with its impressive combat history establishes the Mystére and Super Mystére as an icon of French aviation. My thanks to Guideline Publications for the review copy. Visit the Warpaint Books website to order this and other titles in the series.