| CM.170 Magister | |
|---|---|
| A Magister of the Belgian Air Force | |
| Role | Jet trainer |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Fouga |
| First flight | 23 July 1952 |
| Introduction | 1956 |
| Primary users | French Air Force Israeli Air Force Luftwaffe Finnish Air Force |
| Number built | 929 total Air Fouga: 576 Heinkel-Messerschmitt: 194 IAI: 30 Valmet: 62 |
| Variants | Fouga Zéphyr |
The Fouga Magister (company designation CM.170) is a 1950s French two-seat jet trainer. The related CM.175 Zéphyr was a carrier-capable version for the French Navy.
Although it is often lauded as the first purpose-built two-seat turbojet-powered trainer aircraft, similar claims are made for the Fokker S.14 Machtrainer whose first flight, production and service entry were all about a year earlier.[1] However, the Magister was much more successful than the Machtrainer, being produced in far greater numbers and being exported to many nations.
Contents |
In 1948, Fouga designed a jet-powered primary trainer called CM.130 for the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air, AdA) to replace piston-engined Morane-Saulnier MS.475 aircraft. When AdA found the aircraft lacking in power from the two Turbomeca Palas turbojets, Fouga enlarged the basic design and used the more powerful Turbomeca Marboré engine. The distinctive V-tail of the new CM.170 Magister originated on the CM.8 glider Fouga was using to experiment with jet engines. In December 1950, AdA ordered three prototypes, with the first aircraft flying on 23 July 1952. A pre-production batch of 10 were ordered in June 1953 followed by the first production order for 95 aircraft on 13 January 1954.[2] Fouga built a new assembly plant at Toulouse-Blagnac to produce the aircraft. The aircraft entered service with AdA in 1956.
Due to different industrial mergers, the aircraft has been known as the "Fouga CM.170 Magister", "Potez (Fouga) CM.170 Magister", Sud Aviation(Fouga) CM.170 Magister" and "Aérospatiale (Fouga) CM.170 Magister" depending on where and when they were built.
The French Navy's Aéronavale adopted a derivative of the Magister, the CM.175 Zéphyr, as a basic trainer for deck landing training and carrier operations. These were preceded by two "proof of concept" prototypes designated the CM.170M Magister, which made their first flights in 1956/57.
An improved version of the Magister designated the CM.170-2 Magister was produced from 1960. It used a more powerful Turbomeca Marboré IV engine. Production of the Magister stopped in France in 1962 but continued to be built in Finland up to 1967.
The development of the aircraft came to an end when the French Air Force selected the Alpha Jet as their new jet trainer.
After retirement, several Magisters have been bought by private owner pilots in the USA and are operated in the experimental category.
The first export customer was Germany who ordered 62 aircraft from Fouga and Flugzeug Union Süd license built a further 188 aircraft. In addition the CM.170 was built under license by Valmet in Finland, and Israel Aircraft Industries in Israel, with a total of 929 built. Of these 286 were completed under license.
The Israeli Air Force operated a license manufactured version, the IAI Tzukit. While principally a trainer, it was used in the 1967 Six Day War by 147 Squadron as a close support aircraft, attacking targets on the Egyptian front during the first day of the war, when Israel's more capable combat aircraft were deployed on Operation Focus against Arab air bases.[3] They were then deployed against Jordanian forces, including armour, on the West Bank. The Magister proved effective at the close-support mission albeit with heavy casualties, with six being lost.[4]
In 1958-1959, Finland purchased 18 Fouga Magisters from France. At the same time they also obtained a manufacturing license. The Finnish aircraft manufacturer Valmet later built 62 Fouga aircraft between 1958–67. The French built aircraft carried the designations FM-1...-18 and the Finnish built FM-21...-82. The aircraft served as a jet trainer in the Finnish Air Force between 1958–1988 until superseded by BAe Hawks. A total of 21 Fouga Magisters were destroyed in accidents, six with fatal outcome. The usual Finnish Air Force nickname for the aircraft was Kukkopilli (Ocarina) because of the unique sound of the Turbomeca Marboré turbojet.
The Belgian Air Force operated 50 Magisters as primary trainers. The aerobatic team The Red Devils also used them as display aircraft. A small number of Magisters remained in use until September 2007, as flight maintenance aircraft for senior officers. The Belgian Air Force was the last country that used Magisters for full duty.
When Congo became independent from Belgium in 1960, the secessionist movement in the province of Katanga rebelled against the central government. Their minuscule air force was equipped with three Fouga Magisters among other aircraft. ONUC, the UN operation to safeguard the survival of the Congolese state 1961–64, fielded one squadron of Swedish SAAB Tunnan and one of Ethiopian North American F-86 Sabres, which consistently outperformed the Katangese Magisters in the air.
The Irish Air Corps operated six Fouga Magisters, four of which equipped the Silver Swallows display team.
The Brazilian Air Force used the Fouga Magister in Smoke Squadron from 1968 until 1975 were designated (T-24).
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66[2]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
|
||||||||
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||