Fouga CM.170 Magister
Fouga / Aérospatiale · France · first flew 1952 · fighter
The Fouga CM.170 Magister is a French twin-jet basic and advanced trainer instantly recognisable by its distinctive V-shaped butterfly tail, the first purpose-built jet trainer to reach large-scale production.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Tandem stepped cockpit under a long greenhouse canopy on a slender mid-wing fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Butterfly (V-tail) empennage — two angled tail surfaces with no separate fin or horizontal stabiliser
- Twin turbojets buried in the wing roots with small oval intakes at the leading edge roots
- Tandem stepped cockpit under a long greenhouse canopy on a slender mid-wing fuselage
The V-tail is completely unique among jet trainers of its era — no other contemporary trainer shares it. Wing-root intakes and mid-wing placement further separate it from all Hawk and Gnat types.
Specifications
- The Fouga CM.170 Magister 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
First flown in July 1952, the Magister entered French Air Force service in 1956 and was produced in large numbers for France, West Germany, Finland, Israel, and several other nations. It saw combat use with the Israeli Air Force in ground-attack roles during the 1956 and 1967 wars.
Variants
The CM.175 Zéphyr was a navalized carrier-capable variant for the French Navy. Licence production took place in Finland, West Germany, and Israel.
Where you'll see it
Served as the mount of the Patrouille de France aerobatic team from 1964 to 1980. Still operated by a handful of air forces and widely flown on the civil warbird circuit.
Related aircraft
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