Héja: Hungarian Fighter with Italian Roots

Before the outbreak of the Second World War, Hungary’s fighter aviation relied largely on foreign aircraft. In the mid-1930s, the Hungarian Air Force purchased Fiat CR.32 and CR.42 fighters from Italy. But aviation was advancing at a breakneck pace: outdated biplanes stood no chance against the latest monoplane fighters in terms of speed and firepower. The Royal Hungarian Air Force urgently needed a modern replacement.