Created by Maj Russ Erb
NOTE: This page has extensive large graphics, as the primary target audience is the students at the USAF Test Pilot School, who have a high-speed Internet connection to view them with. Anyone is welcome to look at this page--just be patient if you a viewing this over a modem...
Cockpit
Flight
Controls
Propulsion
Landing
Gear
Your Host
The Fouga Magister (French for school house) was designed in France as a light two-seat twin-jet trainer for the French Air Force. Etablissements Fouga was a limited liability company formed by Breguet, Dassault, Morane-Saulnier, Sue-Est Aviation and Ouest-Aviation. This particular airplane was built under license in Finland.
As it was designed in France, built in Finland, and brought to the
United States, this example of the Fouga Magister sports an interesting array of
instruments, placards, and labels in French, Finnish, and English. This photo
shows the front cockpit instrument panel.
The airspeed and altitude are in knots and feet, just like you're used to. Rate of Climb, however, is in meters/minute. Rough order of magnitude conversion: Multiply by 3. Hence 1000 m/min indicated would be about 3000 feet per minute.
The engine tachometer reads in actual rpm, not in percent rpm. Additionally, the instrument turns through 450° full scale. Be sure you know the proper settings for each phase of flight. For instance, take-off is done at 22,500 RPM, but climb power is reduced to 21,700 RPM.
Only one fuel gauge and one g-meter are installed in the Fouge, both here in the front cockpit. Both are easily visible from the rear seat by looking over the front seater's right shoulder.
A VHF radio (civilian bands) and a transponder are installed in the front cockpit between the pilot's legs. These can only be operated from the front seat, although the rear seater can transmit and receive radio calls.
The oxygen regulator has two basic positions--normal and emergency. A separate regulator is installed in the rear cockpit. An adapter tube is supplied with the aircraft to allow use of a standard Air Force helmet and oxygen mask. Similarly, an adapter cord is supplied for the intercom connections. Bring your helmet, mask, and gloves from life support for this flight. You won't need your g-suit, and there's no place to plug it in anyway.
The canopy lock lever is pushed forward after lowering the canopy. The canopy seal is automatically pressurized when the canopy is closed under normal conditions. If it becomes necessary to deflate the canopy seal, press the Canopy Seal Pressure Relief Button on the canopy locking lever.
The landing gear lever does not have a standard U.S. wheel to identify it, but otherwise works the same. Move up to raise the gear, move down to lower the gear. The rear cockpit landing gear lever is mechanically connected and will move with it.
Two position indicators are worthy of note. The flap position indicator shows the current position of the flaps. The flaps do not automatically move to pre-defined positions, but are commanded up or down by the pilot. When the flaps reach the desired position, the switch is released.
The second position indicator is the ever-popular "Tab Profondeur," which,
for those of you who don't read French, is the elevator trim tab position.
Elevator trim is controlled by a two-position center-off switch on the control
stick, functioning in the same sense as the traditional coolie-hat. 
This photo shows the rear cockpit, which is quite a bit like the
front cockpit, but totally different. The primary thing to notice here is the
articulated stick. The fore-and-aft pivot (i.e. elevator) is at the floor, but
the side-to-side pivot (i.e. aileron) is just above your knees. The stick in the
front cockpit is jointed similarly. This arrangement addresses the problem of
thighs interfering with full aileron deflection. Evaluate during your flight if
you find it objectionable, if you never notice it, or somewhere in between. 
This photo of the rear cockpit shows the landing gear handle, the
flap position indicator, and the "Tab Profondeur" more clearly. Also shown are
the landing gear position lights ("Three Green"). An identical display is
installed in the front cockpit above the flap position indicator. 
Unlike many U.S. two seat fighters/trainers, the rear seat is not
raised to allow the back seater to see over the front seater. In fact, looking
straight ahead would give a great view of the front seater's helmet. Great, that
is, if it wasn't for this periscope in the way. The periscope is designed to be
used from the normal seated position (Don't be leaning up to it playing "Hunt
for Red October"). The resulting view looks something like a hole in your front
seaters head that you can see the taxi line through. The periscope is useful in
ground maneuvering (taxi, initial takeoff) and for seeing the runway on final
approach. Up and away, it's just full of blue sky. Back seaters--evaluate if
this is a bonus or just an annoyance. You may find you see a clearer picture if
you lean slightly one way or the other, depending on which eye you favor. 
Another view of the periscope. As you may guess, it's not very
useful until the front canopy is lowered. 
Both canopies are held open by struts with over-center
actions and springs. The right side strut has a locking tube (seen here in red)
which must be lifted up to release the canopy strut. Hold on to the canopy
before you release it lest it FALL into place. Canopy opening and closing is all
manual. The canopy is lowered down and then locked into place with dogs
controlled by the canopy lock lever. 
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.
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. 
Now that we've covered getting out, we'll cover getting in. Entry is very
simple, and doesn't even require a ladder. Simply stick your left boot toe into
the step shown here and climb in. To get out, reverse the procedure. Since you
won't be able to see the step from the cockpit, just run your left toe down the
vertical black line and you'll eventually get to the step. 
Twin Pitot tubes are installed, one for each cockpit. Looking into the Pitot
Tube, the hole for the total pressure is not obvious. The only opening is a slit
in the top of the forward facing cone. I'm guessing this is to help keep water
or ice out of the system. 
The static ports are located on the lower fuselage just ahead of the
front cockpit. This photo shows the right side static ports. There are two
ports, one for each cockpit. These ports are manifolded with an identical set of
ports on the left side. 
The Fouga cockpit is pressurized, but if it becomes necessary in an emergency to
vent the cockpit, such as to eliminate smoke and fumes, a vent can be opened on
the right side of each cockpit. Normally this will be left closed for the entire
flight. 
As originally built, the Fouga was equipped with two 7.5 mm (30
caliber) machine guns. For reasons that at this point must seem all too obvious,
these guns had to be removed before the aircraft was brought to the U.S. The
ports have been covered, as shown here.
The flight controls of the Fouga are fully reversible, meaning they
are connected to the stick mechanically, and any movement of the flight control
surface will result in a movement of the pilot's stick. As such, certain
measures must be taken to prevent flutter and reduce control forces at high
speeds. The blunt trailing edge of the aileron increases its resistance to
flutter by creating a sharp, defined point for the flow to separate at. This
type of trailing edge will also increase the stick force necessary to deflect
the aileron. Because of this effect, and the higher dynamic pressures of high
speed flight, steps must be taken to reduce the stick force back down to a
tolerable level. Both ailerons are fitted with lagging servo tabs, which are
connected to move opposite to the aileron. That is, when the aileron deflects
up, the tab deflects down, reducing the hinge moment in the same way that a trim
tab reduces the hinge moment. Likewise, if the aileron deflects down, the tab
deflects up.
A large mass balance for the servo tab can be seen here. This circular arc of
weight moves through the aileron as the tab moves. Mass balancing the tab
improves its flutter resistance. 
Each wing has two flaps. These flaps are electrically controlled and
hydraulically activated. 
A significant difference between the Fouga and most U.S. aircraft is the V-tail.
The Flight Manual refers to it at the "Butterfly Tail." The ruddervators
(control surfaces) move up and down together for longitudinal control.
Directional control is achieved by moving the ruddervators in opposite
directions. For instance, left ruddervator up and right ruddervator down give
the same effect as right rudder on other aircraft.
Sections of the ruddervator trailing edges are thickened for flutter resistance. Each ruddervator has a trim tab, which are controlled by a switch on each control stick. Mass balances can also be seen, which improve flutter resistance as well.
An Anti-Over-Rotation Device (aka "tailwheel") is supplied in case you get a
little too agressive on that initial pull for take-off. You should not exceed 5°
of pitch during take-off rotation. You'll know you're off to a good start if
this wheel never touches the ground. 
Mixing of the elevator stick and rudder pedals into the ruddervators is
accomplished mechanically. This mixer (shown looking down into a hole on top of
the fuselage) is located just ahead of the tail. Ask your IP to show it to you.
Longitudinal stick inputs move this mixer fore and aft. Pedal inputs rotate the
mixer. These movements are transferred to the ruddervators by push-pull tubes.
During your flight, evaluate if you can tell any difference between flying
with a V-tail versus a conventional tail. 
Like many jets, the Fouga is slippery enough that it needs
some help to slow down. These speed brakes, shown here in the fully open
position, are electically controlled and hydraulically activated. They do not
have any set positions. You just look out the canopy, push the switch, and
release it when they get to where you want them. They'll stay there until you
move them again. 
Just like the T-37 has thrust attenuators, the Fouga uses the speed
brakes to compensate for the slow spool-up of its centrifugal flow engines. The
approach is normally flown with the speed brakes deployed halfway (shown here)
and the throttles at a higher power setting. This procedure allows responsive
glide path control by modulating the speed brakes instead of the throttles. If a
go-around is required, the speed brakes are retracted and the throttles
advanced. Engine response is improved since the engines are already at a higher
thrust setting.
The Fouga is powered by two Turbomeca Marboré II turbojet engines of 880 pounds
static thrust each. The inlet, just below the rear cockpit, includes a boundary
layer splitter plate.
You're probably more familiar with these engines than you might think. The
Turbomeca Marboré II engine was licensed by Continental and built (with a few
modifications) as the J-69, installed in all of those T-37 trainers used for
eons at USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training. You'll probably recognize some of the
same types of throttle response. You'll definitely recognize that high-pitched
"tweet." 
The engines are not installed parallel to the fuselage centerline,
but actually thrust slightly outward. This results in less thrust asymmetry in
single engine flight. Investigate any directional control changes required when
bringing one engine to idle. 
192 gallons (total) of fuel is carried in two fuselage tanks. An
additional 32 gallons is carried in each tip tank. Fuel in the tip tanks is
burned first, and does not register on the fuel gauge. Indicator lights show
when the tip tanks are empty. The tip tanks must be empty before spins are
attempted. Each tip tank is equipped with a fuel dump valve to ensure that the
tanks are empty.
The nose gear is castored and not steerable. Differential braking is
used for directional control on the ground. The unusual tire shape is intended
to to channel any water on the runway through the middle instead of throwing it
up into the engine inlets. 
The main landing gear retracts inward into the wing. 
Paul Grieshaber, your friendly Fouga host and instructor pilot.
EAA
Chapter 1000 Home Page
E-Mail: Web Site Director Russ Erb
at erbman@pobox.com
URL: http://www.eaa1000.av.org/pix/fouga/fouga.htm
Contents of The Leading Edge and these web pages are the viewpoints
of the authors. No claim is made and no liability is assumed, expressed
or implied as to the technical accuracy or safety of the material presented.
The viewpoints expressed are not necessarily those of Chapter 1000 or the
Experimental Aircraft Association.
Revised -- 21 November 2002