Dassault Mercure: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia


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{{shortShort description|French twin engine narrow-body jet airliner producedbuilt 1971-19751971–1975}}

<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->

{|{{Infobox aircraft begin

|name= Mercure

|image= File:Air Inter Dassault Mercure 100 on short finals at Marseille.jpg

|caption= [[Air Inter]] Dassault Mercure 100

}}{{Infobox aircraft type

|type= [[Narrow-body aircraft|Narrow-body]] [[jet airliner]]

|national originnational_origin=France

|manufacturer= [[Dassault Aviation]]

|designer=

|first flightfirst_flight= 28 May 1971

|introducedintroduction= 4 June 1974 with [[Air Inter]]

|retired= 29 April 1995

|status= Retired

|primary userprimary_user= [[Air Inter]]<!--please list only one-->

|more usersmore_users=<!--up to three more. please separate with <br />.-->

|produced= 1971–1975<!--years in production, e.g. 1970-1999, if still in active use but no longer built-->

|number builtnumber_built= 12

|variants with their own articles=

}}

|}

The '''Dassault Mercure''' is a twin-engined [[Narrow-body aircraft|narrow-body]] [[jet propulsion|jet-powered]] airliner developed and manufactured by [[France|French]] aircraft firm [[Dassault Aviation]]. According to Dassault, it was the first large-scale European cooperative civil aeronautics programme.<ref name = "dass offic"/>

During 1967, the Mercure was proposed as a French counterpartcompetitor to the American [[Boeing 737]]. It was Dassault's first venture into the commercial jet airliner market, the company having traditionally built fighters and executive jets. On 28 May 1971, the prototype conducted its [[maiden flight]], while the type entered service on 4 June 1974 with French airline [[Air Inter]].

Attempts were made to market the type in the US, including partnerships with American manufacturers [[Douglas Aircraft Company|Douglas]], [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] and [[General Dynamics]], with the vision of producing it in the [[United States]]. However, the Mercure had very little success on the market, which has been attributed to several factors, including a lack of range in comparison to rival aircraft. As a consequence, there were only 12 aircraft constructed, all of which were built between 1971 and 1975. The Mercure performed its final flight in 1995.

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During the mid-1960s, [[Marcel Dassault]], the founder and owner of French aircraft company [[Dassault Aviation]], as well as other parties such as the French [[Directorate General for Civil Aviation (France)|Directorate General for Civil Aviation]] (DGAC), examined the civil aviation market and noticed that there was no existing aircraft that was intended specifically to serve low-distance air routes.<ref name = "dass offic"/> Thus, it was found that there could be a prospective market for such an airliner, if it were to be developed. The DGAC was keen to promote a French equivalent to the popular American [[Boeing 737]], and suggested the development of a 140-seat airliner to Dassault.<ref name = "dass offic"/>

In 1967, with the issuing of backing by the French government, Dassault decided to commence work on its short-haul airliner concept. During 1968, the initial studies performed by the company's research team were orientated around a 110 to 120-seat airliner which was powered by a pair of rear-mounted [[Rolls -Royce Spey]] [[turbofan]] engines;<ref name = "dass offic"/> as time went on, a specification for a 150-seat aircraft with a 1000-km range (540&nbsp;nm) was developed. As envisioned, the new airliner would attack this market segment at the upper end with a 140-seat jetliner, contrasting against the 100-seat [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-100]] and the 115-seat [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-200]] variants then in production. In April 1969, the development programme was officially launched.<ref name = "dass offic"/>

This aircraft was viewed as being a major opportunity for Dassault to demonstrate upon the civilian market its knowledge of high-speed aerodynamics and low-speed lift capability that had previously been developed in the production of a long line of jet fighters, such as the [[Dassault Ouragan|Ouragan]], [[Dassault Mystère|Mystère]] and [[Dassault Mirage|Mirage]] aircraft. The French Government contributed 56 per cent of the programme's total development costs, which was intended to be repaid by Dassault via a [[Tax|levy]] on sales of the airliner. The company also financed the initiative with $10 million of its own money, as well as being mainly responsible for costs related to manufacture.<ref name=Middleton>{{cite magazine |author= Middleton, Peter |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1971/1971%20-%200818.html |title= Dassault Mercure |magazine= [[Flight International]] |date= 20 May 1971 |pages= 721–726}}</ref>

The program cost was $75 million and the unit cost $6 million in 1971,<ref name=Middleton/><br />raised to US$6.5 million in 1972.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1972/1972%20-%202020.html |title= Airliner price index |magazine= Flight International |date= 10 August 1972 |page= 183}}</ref>

According to aerospace publication [[Flight International]], the design of the new airliner had been shaped by Dassault's "philosophy of aiming the aircraft at a corner of the market which it believes existing types do not adequately serve".<ref name=Middleton/> Marcel Dassault decided to name the aircraft ''Mercure'' (French for [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]]). "Wanting to give the name of a god of mythology, I found of them only one which had wings with its helmet and ailerons with its feet, from where the Mercure name.." said Marcel Dassault.<ref name = "dass offic"/><ref name="CAEA"/> Extremely modern computer tools for the time were used to develop the wing of the Mercure 100. Even though it was larger than the Boeing 737, the Mercure 100 was the faster of the two. In June 1969, a full scale [[mockup]] was presented during the [[Paris Airshow]] at [[Paris–Le Bourget Airport|Le Bourget Airport]].<ref name = "dass offic"/> On 4 April 1971, the prototype Mercure 01 rolled out of Dassault's Bordeaux-Merignac plant.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1971/1971%20-%200595.html |title= Air Transport |magazine= Flight International |date= 22 April 1971 |page= 539}}</ref>

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[[File:Réacteurs de mercure (2890623814).jpg|thumb|A [[Pratt & Whitney JT8D]] nacelle]]

On 28 May 1971, the [[maiden flight]] of the first prototype, powered by a pair of [[Pratt & Whitney JT8D]]-11 [[turbofan]] engines, capable of generating up to {{cvt|6800|kgf|lbf}} of thrust, took place at [[Mérignac, Gironde|Mérignac]].<!--ref name=Uij--> On 7 September 1972, the second prototype, which was powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 engines, which would be used on all subsequent Mercures built, flew for the first time.<ref name=Uij>{{cite magazine |author= Uijthoven, René L. |title= An 'Airbus' Before Its Time: Dassault's Mercure Airliner |magazine= [[Air Enthusiast]] |number= 115 |date= January–February 2005 |pages= 70–73 |location= Stamford, UK |publisher= Key Publishing}}</ref> On 19 July 1973, the first production aircraft conducted its maiden flight. On 12 February 1974, the Mercure received its [[Type certificate]] and, on 30 September 1974, was certified for Category IIIA approach all-weather automatic landing (minimum visibility = 500&nbsp;ft, minimum ceiling = 50&nbsp;ft).<ref>{{cite book |author= Taylor, John W. R. |title= Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77 |location= London |work= Jane's Yearbooks |date= 1976 |ISBNisbn= 0-354-00538-3}}</ref> The Mercure 100 was also the first commercial airliner to be operated by a 100% female crew on one of its flights.<ref name="CAEA">{{cite web |url= http://www.caea.info/fr/39-collection/transport-civil/246-dassault-mercure-100 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180426011841/http://www.caea.info/fr/39-collection/transport-civil/246-dassault-mercure-100 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2018-04-26 |title= Dassault Mercure 100 |publisher= Conservatoire de l'Air et de l'Espace d'Aquitaine |language= fr}}</ref>

Dassault tried to attract the interest of major airlines and several regional airlines, touting the Mercure 100 as a replacement for the [[Douglas DC-9]]. A few airlines showed some initial interest but only [[Air Inter]], a domestic French airline, placed an order.<ref name = "dass offic"/> This lack of interest was due to several factors, including the devaluation of the dollar and the oil crisis of the 1970s, but mainly because of the Mercure's operating range – suitable for domestic European operations but unable to sustain longer routes; at maximum payload, the aircraft's range was only {{convert|1700|km}}. Consequently, the Mercure 100 achieved no foreign sales.<ref name = "dass offic"/> With a total of only ten sales with one of the prototypes refurbished and sold as the 11th Mercure to Air Inter, the airliner represented one of the worst failures of a commercial airliner in terms of aircraft sold.

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After the commercial failure of the Mercure 100, Marcel Dassault requested a new version, the Mercure 200C, in cooperation with [[Air France]], to carry 140 passengers across {{cvt|2,200|km|nmi}}. Several [[major carrier]]s in the United States showed some interest.

At the beginning of 1973, an agreement was formed with the French government to finance this programme as a 200-million French Francs loan, refundable on sales after the 201st aircraft. However Air France sought a [[JT8D]]-117 powered airliner, quieter but larger, requiring an additional 80-million French Francs loan. The French government decided Dassault had to support half of the Mercure 200C development costs, which was impossible after the Mercure 100 failure. The project was then canceled.<ref name=CAEA-200>{{cite web |url= https://www.caea.info/fr/39-collection/transport-civil |title= Dassault Mercure 200-1 |publisher= Conservatoire de l'Air et de l'Espace d'Aquitaine |language= fr}}</ref>

To answer an official request, Dassault proposed a variant with the new {{cvt|22000-25000|lbf|kN}} [[CFM International CFM56]] and a [[supercritical wing]]. In 1975, contacts were made with [[Douglas Aircraft Company]] and [[Lockheed Corporation]] to build and sell it in the US, and with [[SNIAS]] to build it in France. However, Marcel Dassault was concerned that the CFM56 was not yet ordered. The Mercure 200-1 would be lengthened by {{cvt|6|m}} to accommodate 160 passengers in two classes to 184, while the 200-2 would keep the Mercure 100 fuselage length with the new wing to seat 124 in two classes to 150.<ref name=CAEA-200/>

ItsThe {{cvt|35|m}} wide wing of the 200 version would have an area of {{cvt|135|m2}}, for a {{cvt|39.6-35.7|t|lb}} empty weight and a {{cvt|66-76|t|lb}} [[MTOW]].

Meanwhile, Douglas introduced a competing, stretched [[DC-9]]. Dassault then initiated contacts with [[General Dynamics]], a [[Mirage F1]] competitor with the [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]], with no outcome. In 1981, Marcel Dassault tried to license the program in the US, unsuccessfully.<ref name=CAEA-200/>

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[[File:Écorché prod mercure dassault.jpg|thumb|Diagram of partners involved at the beginning in the project, for the first prototype. During production, Fiat reduced its involvement.]]

The Dassault Mercure was a [[jet propulsion|jet-powered]] [[Narrow-body aircraft|narrow-body]] [[jet airliner]], optimised for [[Flight length#Categories|short-haul]] routes. It intentionally exchanged fuel for passenger capacity in order to carry a greater passenger load;. asAs such, the Mercure had up to 17 per cent more seats than the competing Boeing 737 while having a shorter range.<!--ref name="Middleton"--> It was designed to be outfitted with a two-crew flight deck, although operator Air Inter had its aircraft flown by three-man crews.<!--ref name=Middleton/--> According to Flight International, the basic model of the Mercure featured a degree of built-in stretch potential;. elementsElements of the design were reportedly capable of supporting the envisioned expanded model with little or no change, including much of the wing, cabin, and the [[landing gear|undercarriage]],. theThe latterlanding beinggear was spaced in order to accommodate the fitting of longer legs to, in turn, enable larger engines and an elongated fuselage to be later adopted.<ref name="Middleton"/>

The wing of the Mercure was largely conventional;. itIt was relatively thick, possessing a section of 12.5 per cent thickness at the wing root, slimming to 8.5 per cent thickness at the tip of the wing.<ref name=Middleton/> Aspects of the Mercure's wing, such as the general layout and individual wing sections, were optimised using a combination of [[wind tunnel]] tests and computer-generated simulations by Dassault's design team. The wing had a good lift/drag ratio and a high block efficiency;. theThe [[Flap (aeronautics)|flaps]] formed a continuous spanwise unit when deployed in the take-off position, requiring neither low-speed [[aileron]]s ornor cut-outs to accommodate jet exhaust, due to the engines have beenbeing fixed low down upon deep pylons.<ref name=Middleton/>

Production Mercures were powered by a pair of [[Pratt & Whitney JT8D]]-15 [[turbofan]] engines, capable of generating a maximum of 15,500&nbsp;lb (69&nbsp;kN) thrust.<ref name="Middleton"/> These were mounted on underwing pylons, which were designed with anti-[[vibration]] mountings;. theThe engines themselves featured joint [[Snecma]]/Dassault-developed [[thrust reverser]] and noise suppression systemsystems. Significant attention had been paid to reducing engine noise, this issue having been one of the final topics of research during the Mercure's development;. accordingAccording to Flight International, there was a perception that the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] of the United States, a major potential market for the Mercure, may enact regulations that would necessitate the implementation of a noise-attenuation [[retrofit]] programme, and thus Dassault needed to be prepared to address this foreseen scenario.<ref name=Middleton/>

Dassault emphasised the commercial value of the Mercure, highlighting its low operating costs across short sectors, which principally resulted from its refined aerodynamic features and low structural weight.<ref name="Middleton"/> The design also benefitted from an advanced [[fail-safe]] structure, the majority of which having been milled in accordance to Dassault's traditional military manufacturing practices. The Mercure featured in-house-developed triplicated, fail-safe [[hydraulics|hydraulic]] flight control system; and the flight controls lacked any manual reversion.<ref name=Middleton/> [[Air conditioning]] also featured independent duplicated systems with a cross-feed tapped from the engines compressors along with, unusually, the [[auxiliary power unit]] for use during takeoffs and on the ground, as well as in the instance of a double-engine failure scenario. The electrics were composed of a pair of independent 120/128 volt [[three-phase]] 400&nbsp;Hz [[Alternating current|AC]] systems fed via engine-driven [[alternator]]s, while a third AC system was driven by the APU;. inThere addition,are there arealso three independent 28 volt [[Direct current|DC]] sources.<ref name=Middleton/>

==Operational history==

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* [[Air Inter]]

==Surviving aircraft==

==Survivors==

[[File:Dassault Mercure Le Bourget FRA 001.jpg|thumb|On display at the [[Musée de l’air et de l’espace]] at [[Paris–Le Bourget Airport]]]]

* F-BTTB, c/n 2 is on display at the [[Technik Museum Speyer]] in Germany. The cabin of the aircraft, although closed to the public, can be seen through a grille. It is presented in the same condition as when it left service (on its last commercial flight), complete with French magazines on the passenger seatingseats.

* F-BTTD, c/n 4 is on display at the [[Musée de l’air et de l’espace]] at [[Paris–Le Bourget Airport]] in France.

* F-BTTE, c/n 5 is preserved as a ground instructional airframe at [[Montpellier–Méditerranée Airport]].<ref>[http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/F-BTTE.html "F-BTTE"]. ''airport-data.com''. Retrieved: 12 April 2016.</ref> for the Ecole Supérieure des Métiers de l'Aéronautique

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* F-BTTH, c/n 8 is preserved at [[Marseille Provence Airport]].<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Dassault-Mercure-100/1816726/L/&sid=5190fddb31739bf3b012989f461ae716 "F-BTTH"]. ''airliners.net''. Retrieved: 12 April 2016.</ref>

* F-BTTI, c/n 9 is preserved as an instructional airframe at [[Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport]] in France.<ref>[http://www.jetphotos.net/photo/6816486 "F-BTTI"]. ''jetphotos.net''. Retrieved: 12 April 2016.</ref>

* F-BTTJ, c/n 10 was preserved at the [[Musée Delta]] in Athis-Mons, near [[Paris-Orly Airport]].<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Inter/Dassault-Mercure-100/1862318/&sid=d99d6460b647609d93e9bcade13ef95c "F-BTTJ"]. ''airliners.net''. Retrieved: 12 April 2016.</ref> It was cut up during 2018, with the forward fuselage is now at Piet Smedts (PSAero) in Baarlo, the Netherlands, whileand a major portion of the upper fuselage is in use as part of the scenery at a paintball center near Uden, the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F-BTTJ_Dassault_Mercure_100,_Air_Inter_Europe,_cn10,_built_in_1975_at_Piet_Smedts.jpg |title=Photographed at Piet Smedts Aero, Baarlo, the Netherlands |website=commons.wikimedia.org Retrieved|date= 0713 May 2017|access-date=7 June 2020}}</ref>

==Specifications==

[[File:Mercurev1Dassault Mercure 100 v1.0.png|upright=2|thumb|three-view diagram]]

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=''Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1975–76'',<ref name=JAWA75-76>{{cite book |editor1-last=Taylor |editor1-first=John W.R. |title=Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1975–76 |date=1975 |publisher=Franklin Watts Inc. |location=New York |isbn=978-0531032503 |edition=66th annual}}</ref> ''Dassault Mercure''<ref name=Middleton/>

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|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=56500

|fuel capacity={{convert|18400|lL|USgal impgal|abbr=on}}

|more general=

<!--

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|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=39,000

|ceiling note=

|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->

|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->

|climb rate ms=16.783

|climb rate ftmin=3300

|climb rate note=at {{convert|2135|m|abbr=on}}sea level, at {{convert|100000|lb|disp=flip|abbr=on}}

|time to altitude=

|lift to drag=

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|related=

|similar aircraft=

* [[BAC One-Eleven]]▼

* [[Boeing 737]]

* [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9]]

▲* [[BAC One-Eleven]]

|sequence=

|lists=