Hirtenberg HV.15

The Hirtenberg HV.15 was the sole aircraft produced by Hungarian designer Árpád Lampich in the early 1930s. Conceived in 1931 as a lightweight, two‑seat trainer and liaison plane, the HV.15 first flew on 12 June 1932 from the modest airfield at Hirtenberg, Austria, where Lampich had established a small workshop. Its wooden frame, covered with doped fabric, housed a 95 hp de Havilland Gipsy III inline engine that gave the airplane a respectable top speed of 170 km/h and a range of 650 km. The high‑wing configuration provided excellent visibility for the instructor and student, while the fixed, split‑type landing gear proved robust on unprepared fields. Only a handful of examples were built before Lampich’s venture folded in 1935 due to financial constraints and the growing dominance of larger manufacturers. Despite its limited production, the HV.15 demonstrated innovative construction techniques, such as interchangeable wing panels that simplified repairs. It also acted as a training platform for many young pilots who later served in the Hungarian Air Force during World II, making the aircraft a modest but noteworthy footnote in Central European aviation history.

Árpád Lampich

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