Fouga Magister/Zephyr Ideas

[GTX]

Yeah my first thought was "U2", but then my next one was "and do what?" : it's got no room for serious cameras...

i don't know - maybe if you did something like this with a camera behind the pilot:



Regards,

Greg

[Daryl J.]

Since the UK uses the Nimrod, which is based on 1950's (?1940's?) technology, and the US uses the KC-135 which is also 1950's, why not have this  reconnaisance machine as above using ultra sophisticated digital/miniaturized camera gear with possible satellite instant transmission for live readings?





Daryl J.

[PR19_Kit]

If you displaced the fuselage fuel tanks to the new, longer wings, there would be room for a French version of the U-2's 'Q Bay' perhaps?

[Daryl J.]

Fuel tankage in TR.1-like pods midwing?   Hmmmm.......

Greg's profile is simply 



Daryl J.

[Weaver]

Greg's profile (nice one  ) is probably the way to go, because it has enough height for a serious camera. Remember, this is one seriously small aircraft: you get in it without a ladder and the left/right hinge is halfway up the joystick because if it was on the floor, your thighs wouldn'r let you move it.....

[PR19_Kit]

Some of the U-2 camera fits were horizontal, with mirrors on the end to look downward. Like the BAR camera that the PR9s used late in their lives.

I sat in a Magister once, an Irish Air Corps one at Baldonnel. You don't so much get into it as put the thing on! When you're sat in the cockpit you can have an eye-level conversation with the crew-man standing on the ground alongside, an astonishingly low slung aeroplane.

[Weaver]

Nice walkaround of the Magister, lots of good info and a fair bit of humour here:

http://www.eaa1000.av.org/pix/fouga/fouga.htm

I particularly like this bit:

The Fouga is not equipped with ejection seats. Then again, neither was the P-51 or any other World War II fighter, which were in about the same speed and altitude class. Each aircrew wears a backpack style parachute (provided with the aircraft). For semi-automatic operation, the D-ring is attached to the airplane with a static line. If it became necessary to leave the aircraft in anger, release the canopy by pulling the canopy locking lever and the canopy should open and blow away (push it a little if necessary). Then get up and dive over the side (your IP will brief you on the best way to do this). When you get to the end of the static line, it will pull your D-ring, deploying the parachute.

CAUTION

You will lose massive cool points if, at the end of your flight, safely back in your parking spot, you get out of the jet without first disconnecting the static line. Pulling out part of the static line is bad. Getting far enough to deploy the parachute is...well, you don't want to think about it.

Part of the success criteria for a good mission is never finding out how long that static line is.

Also shown here behind the rear seat is the rear pressure bulkhead. While some Fougas make it appear that you can see through the rear canopy, you can't--this bulkhead is in the way. The aft glass just allows the radio antennas to see the world. Here the aft canopy is painted over. The radios haven't complained yet.

[Weaver]

Howzabout converting the Magister or Zephyr from the "V" tail to a conventional tail set up?  Or maybe convert it to a "T" tail arrangement to get Barry's attention. 

Jeff - scroll back to reply #21: Fouga actually did a conventional tail on the second prototype. Off the top of my head, I'd say a T-37/A-37 fin and rudder would be about right - you could always convert the A-37 to single engine and twin booms.... . For a T-tail, the Tutor springs to mind, although I'm not sure what kits are available.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Howzabout converting the Magister or Zephyr from the "V" tail to a conventional tail set up?  Or maybe convert it to a "T" tail arrangement to get Barry's attention. 

Jeff - scroll back to reply #21: Fouga actually did a conventional tail on the second prototype. Off the top of my head, I'd say a T-37/A-37 fin and rudder would be about right - you could always convert the A-37 to single engine and twin booms.... . For a T-tail, the Tutor springs to mind, although I'm not sure what kits are available.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention.  Missed it during the review of previous comments. 

[AS.12]

Just reading in Air Enthusiast 86 that the Fouga Magister was one of the finalists for the South African order that went to the MB.326M.  The other candidate was the Jet Provost.

Could be an interesting point of divergence there, particularly given the SAAF's extensive later use of the single-seat MB.326K and the mention up-stream of the CM.175 single-seat Magister.  Probably well short of the 326K in performance and couldn't have carried the big 30mm cannon; would the SAAF have settled for it or looked elsewhere?

[DarrenP2]

French Nuclear tipped cruise missile?

[ysi_maniac]

Fouga 90 with standard tail

[Zero-Sen]

Nice. I have always loved the Fouga 90.

[ysi_maniac]