Fouga CM 175 Zéphyr

Fouga · France · first flew 1956 · fighter

The Fouga CM 175 Zéphyr was a French carrier-capable jet trainer derived from the famous Magister, fitted with an arrester hook and strengthened undercarriage for operations from French Navy aircraft carriers. It shared the Magister's unmistakeable butterfly tail.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	10.06 m fuselage
T — Tail	V-tail

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Navalised version of the Fouga Magister with arrester hook
Distinctive butterfly V-tail shared with the Magister
Twin-jet tandem two-seat carrier trainer

Identified by the distinctive V-tail butterfly configuration of the Magister family, combined with the strengthened undercarriage legs and arrester hook visible beneath the rear fuselage.

Specifications

The Fouga CM 175 Zéphyr has a length of 10.06 m (33 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.15 m (40 ft).
Its maximum speed is 715 km/h (444 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The Zéphyr first flew in 1956 and entered service with the Aéronavale to train naval aviators for carrier operations. It served alongside the Magister in the training role, with the added ability to operate from the carriers Clemenceau and Foch.

Variants

The CM 175 was essentially a navalised CM 170 Magister; differences were limited to the arrester gear, revised undercarriage, and minor systems changes for maritime operations.

Where you'll see it

Served with the French Navy (Aéronavale) through the 1960s and 1970s as a carrier qualification trainer; all examples were French naval aircraft.

Related aircraft

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