Google Earth Community: Fouga CM-170 Magister Collection 23/07 update

The Fouga Magister was a 1950s French two-seat jet trainer, and the world's first purpose-built two-seat turbojet-powered trainer aircraft.

Design and development

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 ten were ordered in June 1953 followed by the first production order for 95 aircraft on 13 January 1954. 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 (Fouga) CM.170 Magister" and "Aérospatiale (Fouga) CM.170 Magister" depending on where and when they were built.

The French Aeronavale adopted a derivative of the Magister as a basic trainer for carrier operations. The aircraft was designated the CM.175 Zéphyr, and was equipped with an arrester hook and a modified undercarriage strengthened for carrier operations. Thirty-two aircraft were delivered.

An improved version of the Magister designated the CM.173 Super 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

Operational history

The first export customer was Germany who ordered 62 aircraft from Fouga and Flugzeug Union Süd licence 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.

Israel
The Israeli Air Force operated a licence manufactured version, the IAI Tzukit. This aircraft participated in the 1967 Six Day War against Jordanian armoured forces, albeit with heavy casualties..

Finland
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 was a jet trainer in the Finnish Air Force between 1958-1988. Twenty-one Fouga Magisters were destroyed in accidents, six with deadly outcome.

Belgium
The Belgian Air Force operated 50 Magisters as primary trainers. The stunt team The Red Devils also used them as display aircraft. A small number of Magisters remain in use as of 2007, as flight maintenance aircraft for senior officers. The Belgian Air Force is the last country that uses Magisters for full duty. The last Fouga still was set to perform its last flight on 27 September 2007, but the flight was ultimately cancelled.

Katanga
When Congo became independent from Belgium in 1960, the secessionist movement in the province of Katanga rebelled against the legitimate central government. Their minuscule air force was equipped with a few 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 F-86, which consistently outperformed the Katangese Magisters in the air.

Ireland
The Irish Air Corps operated six Fouga Magisters, four of which equipped the Silver Swallows display team.

General characteristics
Crew: One or two
Length: 10.06 m (33 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 12.15 m with wingtip fuel tanks (39 ft 10 in)
Height: 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 17.3 m² (186.1 ft²)
Empty weight: 2,150 kg (4,740 lb)
Loaded weight: 2,850 kg (6,280 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 3,200 kg (7,050 lb)
Powerplant: 2× Turbomeca Marboré IIA turbojets, 3.9 kN (875 lbf) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 715 km/h at 7,000 m (444 mph at 23,000 ft)
Range: 925 km (575 miles)
Service ceiling 11,000 m (36,080 ft)
Rate of climb: 17 m/s (3,345 ft/min)
Wing loading: 165 kg/m² (34 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.28

Armament
2x 7.5 mm or 7.62 mm machine guns, 200 rounds/gun
Up to 140 kg (310 lb) of weapons on two underwing hardpoints, including 50 kg (110 lb) bombs, unguided rockets, and Nord Aviation SS.11 anti-tank missiles.

Fouga CM-170 Magister Pictorial Tour

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This is just the start of this collection, many of the sites in Europe are still in low res areas, and there are a lot in private hands in the USA. If you find any, please post them here and I will keep the collection updated

Thanks Carmedic

---------------------------------------------------23/07/2008 Update ----------------------------------------------------------------

Main file updated, 68 now in the collection

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*** The Collection List ***

Edited by carmedic (07/23/08 03:32 PM)