Hungarian Heritage Review, 1988 (17. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1988-11-01 / 11. szám
PIONEERS OF HUNGARIAN AVIATION- By- VIC BERECZ EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a pre-publication excerpt from “The Pioneer Period Of Hungarian Airmail’’ by Victor G. Berecz. Copyrighted in 1988, it is published herein with the permission of the author. Every modern, developed nation has among its heroes those who were the aviation pioneers of their era; Hungary is no exception to this rule. Because of the unique political relationship that existed between Austria and Hungary, however, national distinctions were somewhat blurred during those early years of aviation history. Thus it is likely that, when we introduce the pioneers of Hungarian aviation, someone’s favorite flying hero may be omitted. And, since in every list of aviation pioneers there are some who have largely been forgotten, some who should be forgotten, and few who never will be forgotten — this short article will take the easy approach. It will tell about one pioneer of Hungarian aviation in each of the above categories. A few others, of course, are mentioned along the way. Perhaps one of those is your favorite. David Schwartz, born in Keszthely, Hungary in 1845, invented the rigid airship. This development was made practical by the great decrease in the prize of aluminum in the 1880’s that resulted from a new extraction 1897 Schwartz Rigid Airship. process. The Austro-Hungarian army, after a review of his plans, decided not to support Schwartz. He then went to St. Petersburg to build his airship with Russian support. This plan failed because of the poor qualities of the materials supplied. The German government agreed to pay Schwartz 300,000 marks when his airship made a successful ascent and landing. Schwartz died of a heart attack in early 1897 shortly after receiving an invitation to a test flight in Berlin. This test flight took place at Templehof field in Berlin on November 3, 1897. The airship was constructed of aluminum tubing covered with aluminum sheeting. Lift was provided by 13,000 cubic feet of hydrogen. Propulsion was supplied by a 12 hp gasoline engine and two belt-driven propellers. Shortly after a successful lift-off, the propeller belts slipped from their pulleys. In attempting to correct the situation, the inexperienced pilot released too much gas through the valve and bounced to a crash landing, destroying the ship. Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin witnessed this test flight and the ensuing crash. On February 10, 1898, Zeppelin bought all the rights to Schwartz’ patents from Schwartz’ widow. Only two years later, the first of the rigid airships based upon Schwartz’ technology lifted off on its first flight from Lake Constance. Thus the name “Zeppelin” became known throughout the world. And David Schwartz — one of the great pioneers of Hungarian aviation — was all but forgotten. A question frequently asked is, “Who was the first to fly an airplane in Hungary?” Sándor Nemethy, a paper manufacturer from Arad, claimed this honor. His airplane — a kind of bicycle with wings — made a “hop” in 1909. Though a photo of his “Flugrad” — German for “flying bicycle” — does exist, apparently in flight, 1909 Nemethy Airplane most experts do not accept this as “true” flight. Nemethy’s work, therefore, is not regarded as important in the mainstream of the development of aviation. It is Louis Blériot, the famous French aviator, who is credited with piloting the first airplane in Hungary. He performed this feat on October 17, 1909, at Rakosmezo, the great plain outside Budapest. In 1902 a “Hungarian Aero Club” was formed, and by 1910 it developed enough confidence and support to sponsor a major International Flying Competition, patterned after the famous 1909 event at Reims, France. The Competition, held at Rakosmezo in 1910, was dominated by foreign pilots, because of their greater experience. — continued next page NOVEMBER 1988 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW 17
