🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷 Flying a "Gaucho Mrage" 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷
With two subsonic drop tanks of 1,700 liters each (limited to Mach 0.93) under its wings, the Mirage IIIE can carry up to 6,270 liters of JP1 or aviation-grade kerosene—2,970 liters internally plus the fuel in those two massive tanks.
Using this fuel setup, it can fly nonstop from Ezeiza IAP to RÃo Gallegos AFB, with RÃo Grande as an alternate airport, about 3,000 km away, cruising at an altitude of 12,000 meters.
But when these giant tanks are full, this wild stallion loses all agility—both on the ground and in the air.
On the ground, extra care must be taken with the landing gear. Taxiing must be slow and steady, with wide turns and minimal braking. Takeoff roll is much longer, consuming nearly the entire length of the runway.
At rotation, the control stick must be pulled back progressively, not abruptly, to avoid overloading the gear structure.
Once airborne, the climbout is shallow and close to the ground, aiming to build speed more quickly by keeping a lower angle of attack relative to the wind—or "airflow" for those unfamiliar with pilot lingo.
In flight, as long as the tanks are full, everything must be done smoothly.
Luis Briatore (c)