Fouga Magister

[Milos Sijacki]

I know that this airplane served with French air force back in the 50s. Is there anything more to be said about it besides the info on wikipedia??

Personally I think it is a bit ugly.....

[Arsenal VG-33]

Meh...it's an O.K. looking aircraft. It's not particulary sleek though not necessarily ugly either. For it's time it was a decent trainer aircraft with good handling capabilities. Seems to have had decent export history too, with some countries actually using it for for light combat duties. The info on Wiki appears to be generally correct from what I can tell.

What is most interesting about this aircraft, is that it is the ancestor of the experimental Potez-Heinkel CM. 191, a tandem 2-seater with a shorter wingspan and fuselage, of which only 2 or 3 were built. A surviving example (perhaps the only one left in existance) is on display at the Technikmuseum in Germany.

Potez-Heinkel CM.191B D-9532


As for the Fouga-Magister, there are a few in the hands of private collectors. I've heard than at least one, perhaps two, exists in flying condition in the USA.

[FLYBOYJ]

There's many of them flying in the US.

I worked on one in Mojave California and flown in it about 4 times. A very simple aircraft even though it has two tiny engines. It is a bit underpowered but once in the air a lot of fun to fly.

[Milos Sijacki]

Alright. Thanks guys.

[HoHun]

Hi Milos,

>Personally I think it is a bit ugly.....

Hm, actually, if you see it in the air, it's quite an elegant flyer. The wide angle photograph you posted doesn't show it well, but it's really a slim aircraft with long wings that looks really good performing the graceful high-speed manoeuvres the typical Magister airshow routine is composed of.

The Belgian Air Force for example had a display team using Magisters, "Les Diables Rouges".

The Magister has been jokingly described as a "jet powered glider" due to the relatively low thrust combined with the long, narrow wings.

Another nickname was "mice slayer" - if the small jet engines are run up to full power on the ground, they emit a powerful, high-pitched whine that reportedly causes rodents to drop dead on the spot

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

[Waynos]

There was an attempt to repeat the trick in the late 1970's with the Aerospatiale Fouga 90 but there were no takers

[HoHun]

Hi Waynos,

>There was an attempt to repeat the trick in the late 1970's with the Aerospatiale Fouga 90 but there were no takers

Thanks for the picture, I hadn't been aware of that variant before! There is an obvious similarity to the Alpha Jet with the raised rear seat - was the Fouga 90 a direct competitor to the Alpha Jet? From the time frame, this might fit I believe.

I just found out that the Luftwaffe actually had a Magister display team, too:

Fouga C.M. 170R „Magister“ (Heller)

Who'd have thought?

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

[Waynos]

Hello Henning, the Fouga 90 was intended as a basic trainer fitting below the Alpha Jet but the French air force never showed any interest. It was designed and built entirely as a Private venture with an eye on replacing the many Magisters still in service with foreign countries.

[HoHun]

Hi Waynos,

>It was designed and built entirely as a Private venture with an eye on replacing the many Magisters still in service with foreign countries.

Interesting ... I think the late 1970s were about the time when the modern-style turboprop trainers first appeared - maybe that's why there was no interest in the Magister 90? It seems that at least the German RFB Fantrainer, which was supposed to be a trainer in the class below the Alpha Jet too, never sold because of the emergence of turboprop trainers with jet-like cockpits fitted with ejection seats ...

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

[Waynos]

I would have thought the Fantrainer would be the perfect solution and was surprised it didn't sell at the time. It is after all like flying a jet with the costs of a turboprop.

[Graeme]

Originally Posted by Arsenal VG-33

Potez-Heinkel CM. 191, a tandem 2-seater with a shorter wingspan and fuselage, of which only 2 or 3 were built.

Must have been cosy, but the CM 191 was definitely a 4-seater, Arsenal.



I wonder if Heinkel's "V" tail experience with the CM-191 played some part in their twin-jet transport design one year later?

[Waynos]

Do you find scanning Jane's as awkward as I do, or am I doing something wrong?

[Graeme]

Originally Posted by Waynos

Do you find scanning Jane's as awkward as I do, or am I doing something wrong?

Nope they're generally 'spineless'. Now cutaways, there's a challenge!

[solo]

Interesting.....I want to know that-Did "V" tail have a better handling than a normal tail?

[FLYBOYJ]

In the Fouga it didn't make a differance - in aircraft like the Bonanza it tends to have a yaw tendency in level flight.