Fouga | ||||
CM.170 Magister Photo: Robert Deering 4/9/2019 Technik Museum Speyer, Germany |
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Fouga (also
Known as Air
Fouga)
was a French manufacturing
company established by Gaston
Fouga at Béziers in
1920. Originally created to
repair railway rolling
stock, the firm eventually
became most noted for the
aircraft it produced from
its woodworking facilities
at Aire-sur-l'Adour.
Receiving technical advice
from Breguet engineers,
Fouga commenced aircraft
manufacture in 1936 with
designs purchased
from Pierre Mauboussin, whom
the firm also recruited.
Mauboussin was joined
by Robert Castello, formerly
of Dewoitine, and many early
Fouga designs are often
referred to as "Castel-Mauboussin".
Even later aircraft usually
bore "CM" as part of their
designations.
Fouga's greatest success was
the CM.170 Magister, a
jet-powered military trainer
aircraft derived from the
firm's post-war work on
sailplanes, and reflecting
its sailplane heritage in
its slender, tapering wings.
With the success of the
Magister, a new plant was
established at Toulouse in
1953 specifically for its
manufacture. In
May 1958, all Fouga assets
were purchased by the Potez firm,
with the Fouga name being
dropped altogether in late
1961. The
remains of Potez and Fouga
subsequently belonged to Sud-Aviation, Aérospatiale, EADS and Airbus which
still operates major
facilities at Toulouse. |
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