MÁVAG Héja

MÁVAG Héja

The MÁVAG Héja (Hawk) was Hungary’s principal domestically produced fighter aircraft during World War II, developed from the Italian Reggiane Re.2000.

It represented Hungary’s effort to establish an independent aviation industry under Axis alignment, balancing foreign design with local engineering.

Origins and Development

In 1939, Hungary acquired a licence to produce the Reggiane Re.2000, importing 70 airframes from Italy.

These were modified by Magyar Királyi Állami Vas-, Acél- és Gépgyárak (MÁVAG), resulting in the Héja I, which featured:

A Hungarian-built Weiss Manfréd WM K-14 radial engine (licensed from the French Gnome-Rhône 14K)

Structural changes, including a lengthened fuselage to correct center-of-gravity issues

Added pilot armor, radio, and a self-sealing fuselage fuel tank

The Héja II, introduced in 1942, was a fully Hungarian-built evolution with:

A more powerful WM K-14B engine

Twin Gebauer 12.7 mm 1940 M GKM machine guns (replacing Italian Breda-SAFATs)

Redesigned cowling, wing fuel cells, and a larger Weiss Manfréd propeller

A total of 204 Héja IIs were produced

Operational History

Héja fighters served with the Royal Hungarian Air Force (MKHL) primarily in two roles:

Eastern Front

Participated in operations against Soviet forces alongside German units, performing air combat and ground support missions.

Home Defense

From 1944 onward, Héjas were tasked with defending Hungarian airspace against Allied bombing raids.

A small number of Héja IIs were experimentally converted into dive bombers

(Zuhanóbombázó), equipped with Bosch-powered dive brakes, bomb sights, and centerline racks for 250–500 kg bombs.

Only three such conversions were completed.

Legacy

Though outclassed by newer Allied and Axis fighters by mid-war, the Héja remained a symbol of Hungary’s wartime aviation autonomy.

None survived the war, and the type was retired in 1945.

Its legacy endures in historical archives and rare photographs, representing a unique chapter in Central European aircraft development.