MAVAG Heja

The MÁVAG Héja ("Hawk") was a Hungarian fighter based on the Reggiane Re 2000.

History

In December 1939, Hungary purchased 70 Reggiane Re.2000 fighters from Italy. They were delivered to the Hungarian firm Magyar Királyi Állami Vas-, Acél- és Gépgyárak (Royal Hungarian State Iron, Steel and Machine Works) and were modified into the MÁVAG Héja I (Goshawk I). The original Piaggio P.XI engines were replaced by the Hungarian-built Manfred Weiss WM K-14 that drove a Hamilton Standard three-bladed, constant-speed propeller. The WM K-14 was a licensed copy of the French Gnome-Rhône 14K engine that necessitated a 1-foot 3-inch lengthening of the fighters’ forward fuselage, due to a shift in the center of gravity from the lighter engine. Oddly enough, the Piaggio engine was itself a copy of the Gnome-Rhône 14K, but it wasn't as reliable as the original.

A decision was soon made to produce more Héja fighters under licenses in Hungary as the MÁVAG Héja II (Goshawk II). The new Héja II was entirely Hungarian with locally produced airframes, engines and armament. The new fighter differed from the Reggiane fighter in a number of ways. Armament was changed to 2 × 0.50 inch (12.7 mm) Gebauer fixed forward-firing guns in the upper nose with 300 rounds each. Length was 27 ft 6.25 inch (8.39 m), and max level speed was 301 mph (485 km/h) at 13,780 ft (4,200 m). Endurance was 2 hours and 30 minutes. The first MÁVAG Héja II took to the air on October 30, 1942, and in total MÁVAG built a further 203 Héja's for the Royal Hungarian Air Force. The last machine was completed on August 1, 1944 when production ceased.

Operational history

The Kingdom of Hungary was allied to Nazi Germany during World war II. At least one Hungarian squadron flew the MÁVAG Héja I/II in combat on the Eastern Front. However, most Héja's operated inside Hungary in an air defense role or as a trainer.

In September 1942, personal tragedy struck the Hungarian Regent Miklos Horthy. 37-year-old István Horthy, Horthy's eldest son, was killed. István Horthy was the Deputy Regent of Hungary and a Flight Lieutenant in the reserves, 1/1 Fighter Squadron of the Royal Hungarian Air Force. He was killed when his Héja fighter signed "V.421" crashed at an air field near Ilovskoye.

Operators

Template:Country data Hungary

• Royal Hungarian Air Force
  • 2 Vadászszázad based at Szolnok
  • Szazad Heja
  • 1/2.Szazad 'Keresztes pok
  • 2/1.Szazad 'Keresztes pok
  • 1/1.Vadaszszazad
  • 2/1.Vadaszszazad
  • 1/1.Szazad Dongo

Specifications (Héja II)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.39 m (27 feet 6 inches)
• Wingspan: 11.00 m (36 feet 1 inch)
• Height: 3.10 m (10 feet 2 inches)
• Empty weight: 2,070 kg (4,563 pounds)
• Loaded weight: 2,520 kg (5,555 pounds)
• Powerplant: 1× Gnome-Rhône (Manfred-Weiss) 14kfs Mistral-Major, 14-cylinder, air-cooled radial piston engine , 694 kW (1030 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 485 km/h at 4,200 m (301 mph at 13,780 feet)
• Range: 900 km (560 miles)
• Service ceiling: 8,138 m (26,700 feet)

Armament

• Guns: Two fixed forward-firing 12.7 mm (0.50 inch) Gebauer motor-driven machine guns in the fuselage nose

Avionics

References

• Green, William; Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books, 44. 

Template:Weapons of Hungary

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "MAVAG Heja".