Fouga Magister (Unusual Aircraft Collection)

The Fouga Magister was the world's first successful jet trainer, first flying in 1952.   A French design, it was also sold to many other countries, including Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Finland, Cambodia, El Salvador, Brazil and Israel.   One of these Israeli Magisters has a role in the movie Jesus Christ Superstar, chasing Judas across the desert!

The Magister ("school house") has an unusual v-shaped tail which came from a glider which Fouga was using as a jet-engine test aircraft.   The tail didn't quite do the job, so they had to put a stabilizing fin underneath, with a small wheel to prevent it from scraping along the runway when the plane takes off.   The instructor sat in the back cockpit, but the view from there is very bad, so a periscope is fitted to improve forward vision.

This Magister looks like it's on fire, but this is just a smoke system to make its display at the 2002 Royal International Air Tattoo look better.