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Danubian Aircraft Company
Dunai Repülõgépgyár RT

Danubian Aircraft Company is mainly active in the overhaul and upgrade of helicopters and fighters. Also manufactures metallic components and tools by milling, cutting and griding. Danubian Aircraft Co (Dunai Repülõgépgyár RT) was formed in July 1992 as part of the process of privatisation of the state aircraft overhaul facilities (Pestvidéki Gepgyár - PVG). Pestvideki Gepgyar (Pestvidék Machine Factory - predecessor of Danubian Aircraft Co.) depot was located on the island of Csepel, near the village of Selgethalem, approximately 16 kilometers SSW of Budapest.

It was the largest defense company in Hungary, maintaining, overhauling and modifying Hungary’s Soviet-era MiG-21 aircraft, in addition to Hungary’s Mi helicopters (Mi-2, Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-24) and Aero Vodochody L-39 aircraft. Danubian also negotiated a contract to support the Swedish Gripen aircraft during the preparation of the Swedish bid to the Hungarian Government, and the company was involved in the military’s 12-year lease of 14 fighter aircraft.

The Pest Area Kaehine Pactory (Pestvidéki Gepgyár) was a repair depot engaged in overhauls of jet engines and jet aircraft for the Hungarian Air Force. Types of aircraft which the facility overhauled were? MIG-15. UTI-MIG-15, and MIG-15-BIS, Engines overhauled were; RD-45, VX-1, and VK-1A. The overhaul of MiG-17 aircraft and VK-1P engines was in the planning stage by 1957. In October 1956 the depot received a MiG-17 aircraft and an VX-1P jet engine; these new types were under study. The actual overhaul program was scheduled to begin in late 1957 or early 1958.

Aircraft overhaul consisted of washing, thorough dismantling, determination of defects, necessary repairs of airframe and skin according to previous analysis, necessary repairs of separate aircraft systems, levelling of aircraft, painting, general check, testing on the ground, first flight, test inspection, and final examination in the air.

Necessary repair equipment was ordered from the USSR. The quantity of aircraft and engines to be overhauled at the depot was determined by the Ministry of Defense in conjunction with Hungarian Air Porce Headquarters. The Ministry of Machine Building, to whom the repair facility was immediately subordinated, was required to make necessary arrangements in order to fulfill a quota prescribed by the Ministry of Defense.

Imedlately upon acceptance of aircraft and engines for overhaul, they were attached to the depot. After completion of repairs, they were delivered to the representative of the Hungarian Air Porce, who was responsible for their shipment. Presumably, the overhauled products were to be delivered to their units of origin; however, the exact destination was unknown.

The facility could not fulfill assigned quotas for overhaul of aircraft and engines, nor could it maintain a "pool” or provide substitutes for products in overhaul. The main reasons for not meeting the assigned quotas were insufficient deliveries of spare parts from the USSR. It was quite usual that in order to get one delivery of spare parts, two to three orders had to be submitted, or that delivery of spare parts for the year 1955 arrived during the second half of 1958. At the end of 1956 there was no hope of receiving any spare-part shipments ordered during the same year. During the last months of 1956 there was a ten- dency to arrange deliveries of spare parts from Poland and Czechoslovakia, rather than from the USSR; this improved the possibilities of more complete and speedier deliveries.

Spare parts arrived mainly from the USSR; some shipments arrived also from Poland and Czechoslovakia. There was a shortage of almost all spare parts, the most common being rear and middle ballbearings, ratchet clutches, fastening elements for turbine casings, turbine nozzles, turbine blades, rubber hoses for fuel systems, accessory components of fuel systems, and combustion chamber liners. Surprisingly, there was no production stoppage because of nonavailability of spare parts. If necessary, parts were removed from other engines, which resulted in some engines being completely dismantled for parts and existing only "on paper".

Complete anarchy dominated the repair plant due to a lack of special education of personnel in the Ministry of Machine Building and in the Ministry of Internal Commerce, who were responsible for securing neccessary materials for the operation of the depot. Administrative personnel of the depot responsible for production were incompetent and until November 1956 were not able to determine needs and requirements for spare parts and materials. They also could not organise the efficient repair process required for uninterrupted production.

In some fields of production there were absolute indifference and lack of interest among the workers. They were unconcerned and were trying to work as little as possible. In general, discipline was on a very low level.

The labor force consisted of about 600 - 700 workers, 80 percent, of whom were women. About 32 percent of the total labor force were "white-collar" employees, l.e. administrative personnel and engineers) the remaining 68 percent were actual workers. Eighty peroent of the actual workers were highly skilled. The majority of the skilled workers and most of the administrative and engineering staff resided In Budapest) unskilled workers and other common laborers lived In nearby villages.

In addition to fuel tanks delivered with the MiG-21 aircraft both PTB 800 and PTB 490 tanks were also manufactured in Hungary by Pestvideki Gepgyar.

Industrial offsets required to allow Hungary to buy Gripen fighters from Sweden were in line for discussion by the two countries following the signing of an agreement in September 1995. The agreement, a memorandum of understanding between Hungary and Sweden's Wallenburg group, involves a broad economic program that includes "evaluation and possible procurement" of the fighter for Hungary, according to Saab, a unit of Wallenburg and manufacturer of the Gripen.

Hungary's Danubian Aircraft Company signed an agreement In November 1995 with Sweden's Saab Military Aircraft to supply parts for the JAS-39 Gripen fighter, marking an important step in settling offsets needed for Hungary to buy Sweden's newest fighter. The purchase order agreement between Saab and Budapest-based Danubian was signed Nov. 16, Saab said. The collaboration program between Hungary and Saab will create broad economical and industrial cooperation.

Danubian Aircraft Co. signed a purchase order agreement with Saab Military Aircraft of Sweden in nOvember 1995 for production of components for the JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter. So far, 140 Gripens have been ordered by the Swedish air force, and a follow-on order is expected during 1996. This is the first step to a broader agreement between Danubian and Saab for cooperative production of the Gripen. Through this order, Danubian will be qualified to European and world aviation industry.

The Hungarian air force was handed its first overhauled and upgraded Aero Vodochody L-39ZO Albatros trainer by Danubian Aircraft in April 1998. The air force's longer-term hopes of reaching a part exchange deal with Vodochody to swap the aircraft for new-build L-39ZAs appear to have hit financing difficulties, however.

In 1999, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace proposed updating the Fulcrum fleet to Western standard. The Hungarians demanded that more than half of the work be performed by Danubian Aircraft at Tököl, to save costs.

In 1995, the Danubian Aircraft Company had 35 hectares of undivided industrial area with full, but aging infrastructure, operating for decades. In order to increase the efficiency of asset management, the company has made a new Regulatory Plan, approved by the competent authority in 2002.

Danubian Aircraft Company ceased operations in December 2001, and was liquidated 28 November 2002. In accordance with the Regulatory Plan, the area was divided into a separate areas of 0.5 to 3.5 hectares with own parcel number, and the outdated infrastructure (internal road and utility network) was completely rebuilt. Obtained in this way, land plots were partially sold, and partly were leased out. In the industrial area there was an opportunity for further acquisition of the site, and/or for leasing of buildings and free sites.

By decision of the owners the 25-year experience of business and markets of Danubian Aircraft Company jsc. have since been integrated. In the current activity of the company play a major role engineering, production and modernization of vehicles.To ensure the efficient use of resources, Danubian Aircraft Company strives to minimize its own human and physical resources and to implement individual production and service tasks (projects) with external resources. The strengthening of this operating model has resulted that cooperation, project management and operation by the main contractor have leading role in the company's activities. Trade and logistics activities, project management and the main contractor also appeared as an independent service in the company's operations.The company presents high production culture and tradition. The company's management, internal and external human resources necessary continue all the traditions of the former activity and profiles of organizations.

The joint project of Danubian Aircraft Company and Sedulitas-Pro Ltd. for the development of a battery-powered electrical midbus. The first model of vehicle was realized in 2016 by the transformation of the original E-91 Ikarus midbus with Diesel engine.