Dassault MERCURE 100
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France Medium range airliner

-History

In 1967 Dassault, supported by the DGAC *, proposes to compete with the Boeing 737 by the top-of-the-range one, i.e. with an aircraft of 140 seats, which would make it possible the company to apply to civil transport its knowledge in high speeds aerodynamics and lift at low speed. The aircraft is called Mercure (Mercury) by Marcel Dassault: " 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.". Very modern computational tools for the time are implemented for the development of the Mercure wing : although larger than the Boeing 737, Mercure goes more quickly. In June 1969 the natural scale size model of the plane is presented in Le Bourget exhibition. April 4, 1971, the Mercure 01 prototype comes out of Mérignac factory. Propelled by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-11 turbofans (6800 kg of thrust), it first flew in Mérignac on May 28, 1971. The second prototype flew with the final version of JT8D-15 turbofans on, September 7, 1972. July 19, 1973, the first production aircraft tooks its first flight. September 30, 1974, Mercure is category III A certified for the automatic landing all-weather conditions (minima of 150m of visibility to 15m of altitude). This plane, built with the Dassault spirit, was called " the Air Inter fighter " by the company pilots. It was also the 1st transport aircraft has to be flyed by an entirely women crew.
* Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile.


-Marketing

Dassault tries to attract the major airlines, as well as the regional companies, by presenting Mercure as the successor of Douglas DC-9. Some companies are declared interested but do not place orders, put aside Air Inter. Indeed, realizing the economic difficulties of the moment (Dollar devaluation , oil crisis, etc...) and an American market dominated by Boeing and Douglas, Mercure does not succeed in boring the international market, and this in spite of a reduced exploitation cost of 25% compared to its competitors.



-Production

In order to face the forecasts of mass production, (the 300 plane was envisaged at the end of 1979), Dassault creates four special factories: Martignas, Poitiers, Seclin and Istres. January 30, 1972, Air Inter orders 10 specimens which must be delivered between October 30, 1973 and December 13, 1975. Due to absence of orders from other companies, the assembly line is stopped on December 15, 1975. Only the 2 prototypes and the 10 Air Inter planes will have been produced.



-Career

April 29, 1995, the two last of the eleven Mercure in service on the Air Inter network accomplish their last flight. At the hour of their retirement, the result is eloquent: 360 000 flight hours, 44 million transported passengers in 440 000 flights, without accident, with a 98% regularity of service.


Technical features
Wingspan30,55 m 3 view

Toilets are here
Length34,84 m
Height11,35 m
Wingarea116 m2
Empty weight31800 kg
Max weight56500 kg
Crew3
Passengers150
Max speed.925 km/h
Economic cruise speed870 km/h
Climb1000 m/mn
Ceiling12000 m
Take-off distance2750 m
Landing distance1650 m
Range1700 km
Turbofans2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 of 7030 kg thrust each.


CAEA's specimen
Mercure 100 of the C.A.E.A. is the n 6, F-BTTF.

It came out of Istres factory of on 18 November 1974 and brought into service at Air Inter following 27 November.

The " Tango Foxtrot " accomplishes its last commercial flight on September 1, 1994 between Biarritz and Orly, thus carrying out its 35341st flight hour and its 42300th landing.

It accomplishes finally a last flight on September 19, 1994 to land on the Mérignac runway 23 in order to integrate the Conservatoire.

Stored in civil airport area. Not visible.

It's available for Flight Simulator.

-Preservation
Contact : Bruno Vielle

Mystère-Falcon 50
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