A pair of Hungarian Hawks will be making their way to the start of the Italian air tree in the next major update!
Héja I and II : Hungarian Fighters for Italy at Rank I
At a glance:
- Two heavy machine guns
- Reliable speed
- Armored headrest
- No suspended weaponry
- All-metal construction
Vehicle History
The MÁVAG Héja (Hawk) was a development of the Italian Re.2000 and came in two variants. The Héja I was a lightly modified variant, equipped with an 8 mm armored headrest and slightly weaker but more logistically convenient WM K-14A engine. The installation of this new engine necessitated a slight lengthening of the fuselage to accommodate the shift in the center of gravity.
Based on the operational performance of the Héja I, the Héja II was developed shortly after with some pivotal changes. It was constructed completely in Hungary from the ground up, while still maintaining the basic framework of the Re.2000. This improved variant featured a more powerful WM K-14B engine, and a pair of 12.7 mm Gebauer 1940.M GKM machine guns with a much faster fire rate. The wing fuel tanks were also slightly reduced in size, and a new propeller was installed. In total, 70 Héja I and 204 Héja II fighters were built.
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Introducing the Héja I & II!
As promised previously, we’ve been hard at work modeling and developing some domestic Hungarian aircraft to plug the gap at the start of the Hungarian line in the Italian tree. The first aircraft we have to show you are the Héja I and II, developed by Hungary on the framework of the Italian Reggiane Re.2000. Let’s get into them!
The Héja I (Hawk), was a modified version of the Re.2000 exported to Hungary. These aircraft had their engines swapped for the WM K-14A as it was convenient to maintain, though it was slightly less powerful than the original engines. This lighter engine, however, caused a shift in the aircraft’s center of gravity, which resulted in engineers lengthening the fuselage by around 40 cm to accommodate. An 8 mm steel plate was installed behind the pilot as well, increasing survivability but also weight. The Héja I will ultimately be quite familiar and comfortable to fly, maintaining a lot of the core elements of the Re.2000.
The Héja II is a much deeper development; while the Héja I was a simple modification, the Héja II was built from the ground up in Hungary. While maintaining the same core design as the Re.2000, it featured several improvements. It received a more powerful WM K-14B engine, redistributed fuel tanks, and swapped out the Italian weaponry with a pair of 12.7 mm Gebauer 1940.M GKM machine guns. These guns still fire the same Italian ammunition, but have a much faster fire rate, increasing their lethality significantly.
These Hawks represent a key part of Hungary’s aviation history, adding some nice variety to the lower ranks. They’re agile, fast, and effectively armed, making them convenient for new players and veterans alike. They’re also fairly survivable, being full metal designs with pilot armor, allowing you to get away with some glancing hits. The engines do struggle in a climb however, so extra care should be taken to gain altitude before entering into any dogfights, as once that altitude is lost in the heat of battle it will be very difficult to reclaim.
This is just the start, we have even more interesting Hungarian aircraft to show you very soon! Stay tuned and keep checking in, and we’ll be back soon for more. Have a good one!
Please note that the characteristics of these vehicles may be changed before being added to the game.
