Hungarian Heja II

[comrade harps]

MAGAV Heja II
1/1.szazad "Dongo", OVO
Royal Hungarian Air Force
Ukraine, Socialist Union, July 1941


Hungary's main fighter at the time of Operation Barbarossa was the MS.406. These aircraft were known in Hungarian service as the Heja I (either French produced MS.406s, acquired before and after the fall of France, or locally assembled by MAGAV) or Heja II (a MAGAV manufactured development, with local produced engines, Hungarian designed machine guns and detail changes including tail wings without external bracing struts).

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This aircraft carries the so-called "mis-interpretation" yellow Eastern Front theatre bands common on Heja IIs of 1/1.szazad at the start of the campaign. The incorrect and over-sized application of the German mandated yellow theatre ID appears to have been the result of a mis-reading of Luftwaffe directives. Nevertheless, the yellow was retained until the Hungarians withdrew from the front-line during the winter of 41-42.



This aircraft, V.640, was struck off following a landing accident in Ukraine during July, 1942.

MAGAV would go on to manufacture the successful Heja III, a development powered by a licence-produced Hispano YS-2 engine.

[tanktastic43]

Nice paint job. 

tt43.

[Old Wombat]

That camo pattern looks very similar to the one I used on my Ethiopian LAV-150's; only yours is much cleaner & much, much better executed!

Sweet ride, dude!

[Pablo1965]

Agreed, and if you are used a mask (liquid or not) your work is double. 

[tc2324]

As said, nice camo and the story is great too.

[NARSES2]

Now that I like....a lot 

This is the type of WIF I'm really in to and try to do. Just wish I could hit this standard on a consistent basis - lovely stuff 

[Taiidantomcat]

Completely pretty 

[comrade harps]

Thank you, thank you.

No masking, all done freehand with a brush.

I'm glad I photographed this one straight after finishing it, because about three hours later the Hasegawa-sourced Hungarian national markings began to lift, curl, wrinkle and disintegrate, even though I used decal softener. Now, the morning after, they've stabilised after some remedial work, but they're a bit of a dog's breakfast.

It was time to make something that didn't feature yellow and orange Downfall invasion stripes, but I do have one more of those up my sleeve.