- Yes
- No
Introduction
The Fouga Magister was an infamous and very successful jet trainer designed in France in the wake of the second world war. It was exported to various nations across the globe with the primary foreign operators being Germany, Finland and Israel. This suggestion is in regards to the latter who used it extensively in both trainer and combat roles.
Disclaimers
- This suggestion was originally posted and passed on the old forum, however I am remaking this suggestion again for the new forum both because the old one had a few mistakes in the armaments department I would like to rectify and because I believe this may well be one of the more necessary additions to the Israeli tech tree due to the BR gap it may be able to fill.
- Since this is a suggestion for the aircraft as operated by the Israeli Air Force it will mostly focus on itโs history with Israel. If you wish to read a suggestion that delves more into itโs development history as well as itโs service in France I recommend checking out this suggestion.
- The armaments I specified the aircraft could carry only correspond to ones I was able to find clear photographic proof for. I am well aware that the airframe could technically carry more armament types but I prefer to steer away from speculatory options in this suggestion.
A flight of Israeli Fouga Magisters. Note the machineguns station over the nose.
Development history
The story of this aircraft starts back in 1948. Back then the French company Fouga was developing a trainer aircraft for the French Air Force which was designated CM.130, however after the French Air Force had decided the design lacked thrust, Fouga created a new larger design using a pair of Turbomeca Maborรฉ engines and so the CM.170 Magister was born. This aircraft is most well known for itโs V shaped tail design which originates from Fougaโs earlier works on gliders. The Magister first flew on the 23rd of July 1952 and first entered service with the French air force (AdA) in 1956.
At the same time in Israel the Air Force leadership quickly realized that with the acquisition of more advanced jet aircraft throughout the 1950โs also came the need for a trainer aircraft that could properly train pilots to fly such machines. As a result the Israelis turned to the French who were the IAFโs main arms supplier at the time in order to acquire the Magister. It was decided that the French would send a single example which will be used as the template for licensed production of the aircraft in Israel. The first Fouga Magister arrived in Israel in 1957 and the fledgling Bedek Aviation company (who would later down the line transform into the IAI company) was tasked with the mission of producing Fouga Magister aircraft for the Israeli Air Force.
A short 16 second film showing the first Israeli Fouga Magister.
A video showing the delivery of the first Fouga Magister that was built locally by Bedek Aviation to the Israeli Air Force.
Following the arrival of the first example which was specifically of the CM.170-1 variant, Bedek Aviation set up the beginning of production based on it and the first two airframes were completed in 1959. The first of these airframes was delivered to the Israeli Airforce in an official ceremony held on the 7th of July 1960. It became the first aircraft of local manufacture to enter the ranks of the Israeli Air Force, marking a significant milestone for the Israeli aviation industry.
Israeli Air Force Fouga Magisters in a flight demonstration during the Independence Day celebrations right before the Six Day War.
Service history in the Israeli Air Force
The Magisters entered service with the Israeli Air Force flight school starting in 1960 as a main instruction aircraft although initially still being supplemented by AT-6 Harvards due to low numbers. Around the same time the aircraft also joined the ranks of the Israeli Air Forcesโ aerobatics team.
These photos show Israeli Air Force Fouga Magisters flying combat sorties during the 1967 Six Day War.
In May of 1967 it was decided due to rising tensions between Israel and neighboring states that the Fouga Magisters would be organized into an emergency squadron operated by reservists - the 147th squadron. The aircraft were modified by Bedek Aviation in preparation for the upcoming conflict to carry armaments so that the Magisters could supplement the low number of Israeli Air Force combat aircraft for the CAS role. In total 44 Magisters were prepared by the beginning of hostilities, each housing a pair of 7.62 Browning machineguns in the nose and sporting hardpoints for carriage of bombs and rockets under the wings.
Israeli Fouga Magisters during the Six Day War. note how each of the Magisters were Marked for every AFV that they have eliminated in combat.
The Magisters were used throughout the entirety of the 1967 Six Day War conducting CAS missions in Sinai, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. They proved to be especially potent during the battle for Jerusalem where they stopped Jordanian armored columns destroying dozens of tanks and other AFVs. In total during the war 7 Israeli Magisters were shot down, all due to AA fire, and 6 pilots lost their lives.
An Israeli Fouga Magister in the IAF flight school in the years after the Six Day War. The airframes that were used in combat retained the machinegun armaments and continued to be used for live fire testing until the early 70โs.
The Fouga Magisters continued to be used extensively by the IAF after the Six Day War for training purposes although they would never see combat again. in 1983 the aircraft began being phased out of service in favor of the IAI Tzukit which was a highly modified version of the Fouga Magister developed by IAI. Today several examples still exist in several museums and heritage sites in Israel.
Potential in War Thunder
As of writing this post there is currently a severe BR gap between the Israeli Aviation treeโs 4th and 5th rank, jumping from BR 5.7 to BR 7.7 in RB. This is not really an issue as far as air battles are concerned, however this does create a serious lack of CAS capability around the BR 6.0-7.3 area. The Fouga Magister, while not being the most well armed aircraft, could potentially help fill that gap if it were to be added with a BR of about 6.3-6.7. It could also generally help fill Israelโs 5th rank which is currently extremely lacking in content compared to other nations.
Specifications
Type: Two seat basic jet trainer and light attack aircraft
Country of origin: France
Wing span: 12.15 meters
Length: 10.06 meters
Height: 2.80 meters
Powerplant: Two Turbomeca (Beit Shemesh Motors) Marborรฉ VI engines rated at 480 kgf each
Max speed: 700 km/h
Max altitude: 13,500 meters
Range: 1,250 km
Weight: Empty - 2,310 kg, Fully loaded - 3,200 kg
Armaments: 2x7.62mm Browning machineguns with 200 rounds per gun (total of 400). A total of 4 hardpoints under the wings shown to carry the following armaments in the Israeli Air Force:
- Outer hardpoints: 50 kg bomb (specific type unclear), 4x8-cm Flz.-Rakete rockets, 7x68mm SNEB Type 23 rockets.
- Inner hardpoints: 2x8-cm Flz.-Rakete rockets
Possible secondary loadouts in Israeli service based on these carriage options:
- 2x50kg bomb + 4x8-cm Flz.-Rakete rockets
- 14x68mm SNEB Type 23 rockets + 4x8-cm Flz.-Rakete rockets
- 12x8-cm Flz.-Rakete rockets
Photos of armaments on Israeli Fouga Magisters:
Additional media
Spoiler
https://youtu.be/dbfdZZZPr2A?si=3K1JDJ6PA7o2ujZw
This video overviews the history of the Fouga Magister and Tzukit aircraft in the Israeli Air Force, it also includes live fire demonstrations of the aircraft around the mid-section of the video.
Sources
Spoiler
ืืื ืืืืืจ ืืงืจื - 70 ืฉื ืืช ืขืืืื ืืช ืืืืจืืช 1948-2018 - Page 298
ืืื ืืืืืจ ืืงืจื - 70 ืฉื ืืช ืขืืืื ืืช ืืืืจืืช 1948-2018 - Page 370
https://www.iaf.org.il/201-18282-en/IAF.aspx?indx=1
ืฆื"ื ืืืืื - ืืื ืืืืืจ. ืื ืฆืืงืืืคืืื ืืฆืื ืืืืืืื
http://files.iaflibrary.org.il/DigitalLibrary/BITEONIM/186.pdf#page=61
ืืจืขื ืืืื ืืืืจ - ืื ืืืฉืืื ืืืืืช ืืืืืจ ืืขืจืืืื ืืืืืืช ืฉืฉืช ืืืืื
https://www.amazon.com/Air-War-Edge-History-Aircraft/dp/1857800885