Tuesday, July 31, 2018
HJG Dassault Mercure
HJG Dassault Mercure
The Dassault Mercure was a 1970�s twin P&W JTD8 regional airliner made by Dassault of France.
It was certainly an avant garde looking airliner, with some saying that it had better looks than its direct competitor, the ubiquitous Boeing 737, mainly because it�s engines were pylons mounted and so giving the aircraft greater ramp presence.
Period airliner specialists Historic Jetliner Group (HJG) have today made available a truly fabulous rendition of the Dassault Mercure, complete with detailed VC and 2D panels. Not only that, it also features working wipers and s functional early HUD in both VC & 2D views.
You also get one or two liveries with it, for instance France�s Air Inter who were the main operator of this type.
Why so few liveries? Sadly this aircraft wasn�t a commercial success, and only 12 examples were built. Default offered to build a dedicated facility in the USA but this didn�t sway the decision makers.
One reason for its demise would certainly have been its rather limited range of 1700Km with full payload. Whilst this may have been satisfactory for European routes, it was not long legged enough for non-European airlines.
If every now and then you enjoy something a little off the beaten track, then why not begin with this?
When ATC asks your type, you can say Mercure, and who knows, they might confuse you for a long legged Mercury carrying rocket instead!
Read more about this machine and the incredible work done by HJG here.
