Fouga CM.170 Magister German, Finnish and Austrian

The successful French light aircraft trainer Fouga CM.170 Magister had its origins in a powered glider of all-metal construction designed by P. Mauboussin and J. Szydlowski called C.M.8.15, which had a butterfly-shaped tail unit.
This turbo-powered glider flew for the first time in 1949, and during the development of this design a number of test machines were created, including a unique aircraft with two fuselages called the Gemeaux. The final stage of development of the C.M.8.15 glider resulted in the CM.170 Magister, which was designed to an Armée de l'Air specification and, like the previous powered gliders, featured a distinctive butterfly tail.

As well as being used by the French military, the Magister was an export success for Fouga, who sold the type to a variety of foreign operators and even built it under licence in three countries. The first licence-built Magisters entered service with the air forces of Germany and Finland in 1958, where they joined the French-built Magisters.

In Europe, the Magister was flown by France, Belgium, Austria and Ireland, but there were also many other operators in Africa, Asia and South America, many of whom were undoubtedly impressed by its lightweight design and low operating costs. These far-flung operators included countries such as Algeria, Bangladesh, Biafra, Brazil, El Salvador, Libya, Morocco, Togo and Uganda. Some Fougas still fly today, many of them in civilian hands.

Plastic model kit

Scale 1:72

unbuilt / unpainted