Katanga Airforce Fouga Magister FM 92

 Katanga Airforce Fouga Magister FM 92

Completed the Heller 1/72 kit, painted with AK real colours and added aftermarket MAV decals for the Katangan markings. Quite happy with the results 

KATANGAN  92 Fouga Magister 

Without a doubt, the most infamous of the Katangan Fouga Magisters, KAT 92 seen the most service and caused the most controversy. Kat 92 operated from September 14 to 19, 1961, against UN forces. Damaged by ground fire on the 18th but grounded while peace talks commenced and then came into effect on the 20th. 

On the 3rd December 1961 it was damaged during an air attack, Indian UN Canberra bombers permanently grounded it at Kolwezi. Damaged, it was evacuated by rail on December 5, 1961, to Kisenge where it awaited replacement parts.

Thanks to this single training aircraft, based in Kolwezi, the Katangese "hunt" caused panic among the United Nations. The KAT 92 carried out rapid overflights of UN positions, dropping a few 50kg improvised bombs here and there. These interventions boosted the morale of the Katangese Gendarmerie and mercenary troops and sowed consternation among the ranks of the ONUC troops. The Fouga were an excellent means of psychological warfare against the ONUC soldiers and forced them to deploy air support. This Fouga also played a vital role in the attack on UN Kamina Airbase on the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th of September destroying one DC4 on the ground and killing two UN pilots. Then the strafing and bombing of the Irish at Jadotville between the 13th and 17th. During at ground attack on the Kamina Airbase on the 18th it received damage. 

José Magain “the lone Prowler”

The pilot of the Fouga 92 was the Belgian José Magain who had flown with the Belgian Air Force. Joseph Delin the commander of Kolwezi airbase accompanied him as co-pilot on several missions including the staffing of Jadotville But when the journalists and photographers showed up in Kolwezi, José Magain disappeared… because no one could know that he had piloted the Fouga Magister. In reality he should no longer have been in Katanga and should have returned to Belgium on August 28, 1961, just like the other members of Avikat expelled by the UN (Operation “Rumpunch 27th August - October 1961”).
 

Armament for KAT 92, originally armed with 7.50 mm guns and ammunition, it was re-chambered for 7.62 caliber as ammunition was readily available. for bombing ground attack missions required manufacture of 50 kg bombs from mortar rounds and a primitive dropping and aiming system organized with the means at hand. The Fouga KAT 92 flew about 50 missions, claiming a UN DC-6, a DC-4, a DC-3, a dozen trucks, strafing the positions Jadotville, and a UN radio installations was destroyed at Kamina. The end of each of these missions was punctuated by a message to the control tower manned by the UN: "See you soon, gentlemen; I will be happy to come and see you again!"