The story of the first Hungarian-built aircraft

The first Hungarian-built aircraft, the Libelle, was presented in Hungary in December 1909 and officially made its first flight on 10 January 1910. However, a month earlier, on 9 December 1909, the aircraft was tested, a landmark event in Hungarian aviation history.

At the time, aviation experiments were still in their infancy and were seen more as a spectacle, a circus attraction. However, Louis Blériot’s Hungarian debut in October 1909 was a major inspiration for Hungarian aircraft builders, writes PestBuda.

The Libelle: the first Hungarian-built aircraft

The aircraft was built by Jenő Gráber and János Adorján and was named Libelle, or “Dragonfly”. The small structure was made of wood, canvas and wire, weighing just under 200 kilograms. The machine was powered by a two-cylinder Dedics engine, which produced 24 hp to provide the energy needed for the climb.

Dimensions of the Libelle:

• Length: 8.8 metres
• Wingspan: 7.3 metres
• Maximum speed: 55 km/h

The aircraft first appeared at the airport of Rákosmeze, where it was tested on 9 December 1909.

The question of flight: success or failure?

Different accounts of the first test of the Libelle have survived. Zsuzsa Frisnyák, in her book The Chronicle of Hungarian Transport, writes that the plane flew 150 metres at an altitude of about 2 metres. In contrast, László Winkler, in his book Hungarian Fliers, Flying Hungarians, claims that the plane only rolled, but the wheels broke, so the first official flight took place on 10 January 1910.

The press of the time did not report on the event in detail, so whether an actual flight took place in December 1909 is uncertain. What is certain, however, is that the Libelle was already ready and, had it not failed, it may well have been the one to make Hungary’s first official flight.

The fate of the Libelle and János Adorján

In January 1910, the Libelle made several successful take-offs until one time, in front of his fiancée, János Adorján crashed. Although the brave pilot escaped without serious injury, the scene deeply shocked his fiancée, who fainted.

After the incident, János Adorján never flew again, but he remained a major figure in the development of Hungarian aviation and engineering. His work significantly impacted Hungarian innovation until his death in 1964.

The creation and introduction of the first Hungarian aircraft was a milestone in the history of Hungarian technology. The Libelle symbolises not only the dawn of Hungarian aviation but also the courage and pioneering spirit that characterised the engineers and pilots of the time. The work of János Adorján and his team inspired generations to come and helped Hungary become part of aviation history, Helló Magyar wrote.