MÁVAG Heja

infobox Aircraft
name = Héja
type = Fighter
manufacturer = MÁVAG


caption =
designer =
first flight =1940
introduced =1941
retired = Summer 1944
number built =192
status =
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =
primary user = Hungarian Air Force
more users =

The MÁVAG "Heja" ("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 Állami Vagon és Gépgyár ("Hungarian State Waggon and Engineering Factory") and were modified into the MÁVAG Héja I ("Hawk 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 ("Hawk 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. At least one Hungarian squadron flew the MÁVAG Héja I/II in combat on the Eastern Front while Hungary was allied to Germany. Most Héja's operated inside Hungary in an air defense role or as a trainer.

Specifications (Héja II)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew= 1
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 8.39 m
length alt= 27 feet 6 inches
span main= 11.00 m
span alt= 36 feet 1 inch
height main= 3.10 m
height alt= 10 feet 2 inches
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,070 kg
empty weight alt= 4,563 pounds
loaded weight main= 2,520 kg
loaded weight alt= 5,555 pounds
useful load main=
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engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main=
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
engine (prop)=Gnome-Rhône (Manfred-Weiss) 14kfs Mistral-Major, 14-cylinder, air-cooled radial piston engine
type of prop=
number of props= 1
power main= 694 kW
power alt= 930 hp
power original=
propeller or rotor?=
propellers=
number of propellers per engine=
propeller diameter main=
propeller diameter alt=
max speed main= 485 km/h at 4,200 m
max speed alt= 301 mph at 13,780 feet
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
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stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 900 km
range alt= 560 miles
ceiling main= 8,138 m
ceiling alt= 26,700 feet
climb rate main=
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loading main=
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more performance=|
guns= Two fixed forward-firing 12.7 mm (0.50 inch) Gebauer machine guns in the fuselage nose
bombs=
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hardpoint capacity=
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References

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