Fouga CM-170 Magister    The Fouga, derived from an all wooden V tailed sailplane of the 1930's, was the first primary jet trainer produced after WWII. It was in the air two years before the British Provost or the Cessna T-37. Nicknamed the"whistling Turtle" or "Dinky Toy", this compact aircraft belies its delicate appearance. Over 900 Fougas were manufactured and the type has accumulated nearly 3 million flying hours. There has never been a report of structural fatigue or failure.This record includes the 35 Fougas modified to " Zephyr" by the French Navy and slammed onto aircraft carrier decks by French Naval Aviation Cadets. The Fouga was modified to "Zephyr" by simply adding a sliding canopy,attaching an arresting hook and strenthening  the landing gear.The aircraft structure and engines were not modified. A very tough "Dinky Toy" indeed.  The Fouga is an easy handling and forgiving aircraft suitable for instruction yet is nimble and spirited enough to have equipped the Airforce Display Teams of France, Belgium, Ireland and Germany. The "Whistling Turtle", when armed, had a nasty bite. 80 Fougas, equipped for the ground attack mission by Israel, were credited with 50 tank and 70 armored vehicle kills during the Six Day War. Seven Fougas were lost to hostile fire. A Fouga was even credited with the air to air kill of a MiG-21. Jumped by the Mig, the Fouga took the fight to ground level and lured the MiG into a narrow canyon. The Fouga popped out. The MiG did not. Even more remarkable is the record of a single Fouga in the 1962 Congo Crisis. Three Fougas, flown by Belgian mercenaries, resisted the UN Expeditionary Force that was attempting to subdue the rebellious Katanga Province. One Fouga was grounded with engine trouble and one crashed soon after arrival. This left one "Dinky Toy" piloted by a Lt Joseph Deulin, to face the UN. Deulin and his Fouga destroyed several UN charter aircraft on the ground, strafed and bombed an Irish Battalion until it surrendered and forced the retreat of an Indian Ghurka unit. Deulin and his Fouga controlled the air until the UN brought in its' big guns and an Indian Canberra destoyed the Fouga on the ground. Come to our museum, listen to the whistle of the Fouga and envision sailplanes of the 30's, tank busting in the Sinai, catapault shots off the Clemenceau, going air to air with a MiG-21, instructing two generations of pilots and putting on some of the most spectacular aerial displays seen over Europe.   Performance;  Take-off speed 95 kts  Max speed 400kts  Approach speed 105kts  Stall 78kts   Max Climb 3,150 FPM  Ceiling  35,000 Ft   Roll Rate >200 Degrees/Second   Loop Radius 4,000Ft  G Limiits +5.5  -3.0  Inverted flight; 1 Minute  Range;775 Miles  Specifications; Engines; Turbomeca Marbore II  880 lbs thrust each  Wingspan; 39' 10"  Length; 33'  Weight; Max;7.055 lb  Empty; 4,740 lb Fuel Consumption; Taxi; 6L/M  Econo Cruise @1000 ft 12L/M  Econo Cruise @ 30,000 ft6.5L/M  Max Power @ 1000 ft 20L/M