Ernő Rubik -- Hungarian Aircraft Designer

[Apophenia]

Ernő Rubik (Rubik Ernő in Hungarian usage) designed 28 gliders and 5 powered aircraft before his death in 1997. Only a few remained unbuilt projects. The most dramatic was the Rubik R-21 1.5-tonne military assault glider project (below).

There is also mention of a 'Dupla Góbé' training glider. Does anyone know if this refers to the R-31 Dupla? Or is 'Dupla Góbé' perhaps the missing R-29 or R-30?

As will be seen, the Rubik designations R-01 and R-02 were applied later to designs done for MSrE.

 

[Apophenia]

Ernő Rubik Aircraft Designations
__________________________

Rubik R-01 (MSrE M-20) - single-seat sailplane (better known as EMESE-B/-C), flown 1935.
Rubik R-02 (MSrE M-19 - 2-seat cabin monoplane tourer, 130 hp (95.5 kW) DH Gypsy Major, 1 built, 1936. http://gliders-fega.fw.hu/M-19.jpg - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSrE_M-19
- M-19A (R-02a?) designation applied in 1937 after a rebuild following a crash
Rubik R-03 Szittya I (Scythian I) - gull-winged, single-seat glider, 1 built 1933
Rubik R-04 Szittya II (Scythian II) - gull-winged glider, 1937/38 1 built (12?)
Rubik R-05 Vöcsök (Grebe) - derived from R-01 EMESE-B as R-07 prototype, 1937
Rubik R-06 Vöcsök (Grebe) - as per R-05 but steel-tube fuselage frames (2 to Egypt), 1937
Rubik R-07 Vöcsök/Tücsök - single seat training glider (production series R-06), 361 built
- R-07a Tücsök (Cricket), open-frame, reduced-scale Vöcsök to replace Zögling, 1938
- R-07b Vöcsök (Grebe), productionized version of R-05/R-06 Vöcsök
- R-07c, ??
- R-07d, postwar Vöcsök with modified ailerons, 30 built 1955/'56
Rubik R-08 Pilis (Tonsure) - reduced-scale single-seat version of Szittya, 1938, 210 built
- R-08a - gull-wing, curvaceous semi-monocoque plywood fuselage, 1 built 1939; ; 82 x R-08c 1939/40; 96 x R-08d, 1944
- R-08b - simplified fuselage structure, 5 built 1938/39
- R-08c - gull replaced with pylon-mounted wing, 1939, 70 built
- R-08d - improved version with airbrakes & removeable canopy, 1943, 193 built postwar
Rubik R-09 - original designation of R-08d D-Pilis, later applied to motor conversion
- R-09 Motor Pilis - powered version of R-08d (Porsche pusher engine above wing)
Rubik R-10 Szittya III (Scythian III) - high-performance glider, 1 built 1939
Rubik R-11 Cimbora (Pal) - parasol (15m) training glider, tandem 2-seat, 60 built 1940
Rubik R-12 Kevély (Proud) - 18m span single-seat glider (enclosed cockpit)
Rubik R-13 Bunkó (Club) - lightened R-08, 50% completed 1941
Rubik R-14 Pinty (Finch) - single-seat, low-wing monoplane, 45hp Continental, 1 built 1942
Rubik R-15 Koma (Pard/Panthera) - pod-and-boom two-seat glider, flown 1948, 65 built
- R-15a Koma - prototype, 1 built 1948
- R-15b Koma - series production version, 70 built, flown 1950
- R-15f Fémkoma (Fém-Koma) - metal structure, 1 built 1958
Rubik R-16 Lepke (Butterfly) - parasol pod-and-boom single-seat training glider, 65 built
- R-16 can't be spun, wooden contruction, wings fold for storage, flown 1949
Rubik R-17 Móka (Fun) - gull-winged, single-seat sailplane, flown 1944, 3 built
- R-17a Móka, wooden construction, 13m span, open cockpit
- R-17b Móka, as per R-17/R-17a but with metal alloy tail surfaces
Rubik R-18 Kánya (Kite/Kitty Hawk) - liaison/tug aircraft, designed 1944, built 1948/'49
- R-18A powered by 130 hp (97 kW) Walter Major S 6-cyl air-cooled in-line, 1 prototype
- R-18B powered by 105 hp (78 kW) Walter Minor 4-III 6-cyl in-line, 1 prototype
- R-18 series powered by Walter Minor, converted Shvetsov M-11 5-cyl radial, 10 built
Rubik R-19 Pinttyek (Pinty II) - [Project] 2-seat, improved R-14 Pinty, not built
Rubik R-20 (OE-01) - experimental sailplane, 18m laminar-flow wing, v-tail, 1 built 1951
Rubik R-21 - [Project] pod-and-twin-boom 1.5-tonne assault glider, 5 uncompleted 1944*
-- Air Enthusiast says 5 "reached an advanced stage in construction" before abandoned
Rubik R-22 Futár (Courier) - 15m span single-seat wooden sailplane, 1943, 11 built
- R-22S (-2) Június 18, 15m span sailplane, wooden construction, flown 1950, 70 built
- R-22-3 Super Futár, 15.7m span sailplane, Futár/Június 18 successor, 12 built 1957
- powered versions: R-22S (R-22-2) Június 18, R-22-3 Super Futár, R-22-4 Standard Futár
- NB: Super Futárs are also be listed as R B-22 or R-22B and R C-22 or R-22C
Rubik R-23 Gébics (Shrike) - pod-and-boom training glider, 13m wing, v-tail, 1 built 1957
Rubik R-24 Bibic (Lapwing) - high-performance sailplane, 15m wing, v-tail, 1 built 1958Rubik R-25 Mokány (Little Devil) - single-seat sailplane, 1964-65
- R-25-3 (R-253) - 1964 standard class performance prototype
- R-25-4 (E-31) Esztergom - single-seat training sailplane, metal construction
Rubik R-26 Góbé - twin-seat sailplane, all-aluminum construction, 1961
- R-26P1 - 1960 1st prototype, v-tail
- R-26P2 - 1961 2nd prototype, conventional tail
- R-26S - series production version, 115 built 1963/'65 at Esztergom
- R-26SU - Góbé 82, renewed production version, 78 built 1982/'82 at Szombathely
- R-26M Motor Góbé - motorized Góbé (pusher engine above wing)
Rubik R-27 Kópé (Scamp) - single-seat version of 2-seat Góbé, 1962-63
- R-27P1 - 1962 1st prototype, v-tail
- R-27P2 - 1963 2nd prototype, conventional tail
Rubik R-28 Fém Kánya - [Project] improved R-18 Kánya (metal structure), not built
Rubik R-29 Sikló sárkány (Plain Dragon) - [Project] 1985
- R-29 - No details
Rubik R-30 Kacsa sárkány (Dragon Duck) - [Project] 198?
- R-30 - No details
Rubik R-31 Dupla (Double) Super Góbé - 1987 2-seat trainer, x 1
Rubik R-32 - 1987 ultra light motor glider, x 1
- R-32 HA-XBT, 2-seat light plane, Volkswagen T-2000 engine, tractor prop
[Note: a different design -- pusher-prop ultralight HA-XAJ has also been listed as a R-32B]
Rubik R-33 - 1987 ultra light motor glider, x 1
- R-33 - No details
_______________________________________

 

[gatoraptor]

A little trivia here: Mr. Rubik's son, who shared the same name, gave the world Rubik's Cube!

 

[hesham]

Hi,

here is the the Rubik R-21.

 

[Apophenia]

Thanks Hesham but there's some online confusion surrounding that drawing. This side view actually illustrates the Mosalyev SAM-23 designed to compete with the Kolesnikov-Tsybin KTs-20.

The drawing (by Dennis Punnett) appeared in 'The Rise and Demise of a Weapon' in Air Enthusiast, March 1972, p.130. Above it appeared a photo of the KTs-20 and a 3-view of the actual R-21.

A Hungarian 3-view drawing is attached to the first post. An R-21 model is also shown on the following Hungarian webpage along with 3-views and other images of various Rubik aircraft and projects.
http://harmashatarhegy.hupont.hu/10/rubik-erno

 

[hesham]

Hi,


some Erno Rubik gliders are here;


http://gliders-fega.fw.hu/gliders-hungarian.html

 

[hesham]

There was also R-25-3;

http://gliders-fega.fw.hu/Aeroever.html

 

[hesham]

Also a small info about R-29,R-30 & R-33;

http://magyarszarnyak.uw.hu/sportrepules/mitter_rubik.html

 

[Apophenia]

Thanks Hesham. Details added to list.

 

[VictorXL188]

Another GA Drawing for the R-21, taken from http://mek.oszk.hu/05700/05720/05720.pdf

 

[VictorXL188]

Backing up the claim in Air Enthusiast, I have spoken with a contact in Hungary, Fekecs Gábor, who gave the following information regarding the R-21.
Erno Rubik: R-21 cargo glider. (1942). Aero Ever Factory, Esztergom.
The all wooden structure machine was built with a large, spacious fuselage and was fitted with spacious doors and high positioned control surfaces for quick loading and unloading. Construction of five machines was started, but in 1944 the construction of the machines stopped. The glider was designed to be towed by a Me 210 aircraft. The prototype's maiden flight had been planned to take place in Győr and a special transport raft was built to transport the completed aircraft by water to Győr Airport.
When the front approached at the end of 1944, the semi-finished prototype, blueprints and workers engaged in building it were packed - along with their families - in a barge which was transported on the Danube to Germany by the army. The fate of the glider is unknown. The remaining parts and material of the other four gliders were used in the production of sports aircraft when the factory started work in 1947 in Esztergom.
Main data: span: 23 m, length: 13.7 m, could carry 15 people.
Hope that helps!! Here's that model that Apophenia referred to.

 

[hesham]

Hi Victore,

I sent all those stuff before,here;

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/rubik-project-search.4337/