What was the world's first jet trainer?

Short answer

There's no undisputed "first": the Fouga CM.170 Magister was one of the very first aircraft designed from the outset as a jet trainer rather than a converted fighter. But the Fokker S.14 Machtrainer flew, entered production and service roughly a year earlier.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Fouga CM 170 Magister (FM-45) Keski Suomen ilmailumuseo 3

A trainer designed as such from the outset

The Fouga CM.170 Magister is a French two-seat jet training aircraft from the 1950s, developed and manufactured by the French company Établissements Fouga & Cie. It was one of the very first aircraft designed from the start as a jet trainer, rather than being a converted fighter.

The Fokker S.14 Machtrainer, a year earlier

Similar claims are made for the Fokker S.14 Machtrainer, whose first flight, production and entry into service all came roughly a year earlier.

From prototype to series production

The Magister first flew on 23 July 1952, and the type's first production order came on 13 January 1954. In June 1953, a pre-series batch of ten aircraft was ordered, followed by an initial production order for 95 aircraft on 13 January 1954. It entered service in 1956. By 1960, more than 350 Magisters had entered service with various operators. Nearly 1,000 aircraft were built in France and under licence in West Germany, Israel and Finland.