Photo: Dassault Aviation
Although the future of aviation is looking more exciting than ever, with so many innovations underway, we still look back in awe at the aircraft that wrote history. One of them is the legendary warbird MD 450 Ouragan.
Starting today until September 18, two iconic French military aircraft will be displayed in the North Gardens of the Hotel National des Invalides, a historic location with a rich history. The official exhibition will be inaugurated on July 8, but the two aircraft can already be admired from today onward.
Called “From the Ouragan to the Rafale, 70 years of industrial and operational excellence,” the event is a celebration of the first fighter jet that was designed and mass-produced in France, alongside the modern Dassault Rafale that carried on its legacy.
The aircraft on display are a vintage MD 450 Ouragan no. 297, which was loaned by the French Air and Space Force (AAE) to the Association Espaces Aero Lyon Corbas (EALC), and the prototype Rafale B01 owned by the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA). According to Dassault, which organized the event together with AAE, the special display will be worthy of these legendary jets, including night-time lighting.
Designed and produced in France, the MD 450 Ouragan paved the way for the country’s future military aircraft industry. Constantin Rozanoff was the first to fly the pioneering fighter on February 28, 1949. It’s been 70 years since the Ouragan entered service, becoming the first French fighter jet to be operated by the French Air Force after World War II. More than 200 units would be delivered to the French military between 1952 and 1954.
After WWII, the Ouragan was also the first aeronautical military hardware designed and produced in France to be exported. The technological performance of this historic jet was later used to develop the Mystere, Mirage, and Jaguar families of military aircraft, continuing with what Dassault calls “its latest incarnation,” the Rafale.
Called “From the Ouragan to the Rafale, 70 years of industrial and operational excellence,” the event is a celebration of the first fighter jet that was designed and mass-produced in France, alongside the modern Dassault Rafale that carried on its legacy.
The aircraft on display are a vintage MD 450 Ouragan no. 297, which was loaned by the French Air and Space Force (AAE) to the Association Espaces Aero Lyon Corbas (EALC), and the prototype Rafale B01 owned by the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA). According to Dassault, which organized the event together with AAE, the special display will be worthy of these legendary jets, including night-time lighting.
Designed and produced in France, the MD 450 Ouragan paved the way for the country’s future military aircraft industry. Constantin Rozanoff was the first to fly the pioneering fighter on February 28, 1949. It’s been 70 years since the Ouragan entered service, becoming the first French fighter jet to be operated by the French Air Force after World War II. More than 200 units would be delivered to the French military between 1952 and 1954.
After WWII, the Ouragan was also the first aeronautical military hardware designed and produced in France to be exported. The technological performance of this historic jet was later used to develop the Mystere, Mirage, and Jaguar families of military aircraft, continuing with what Dassault calls “its latest incarnation,” the Rafale.
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