Ernő Rubik (27 November 1910 in
Pöstyén,
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, now
Piešťany
Piešťany (; , , , ) is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its Piešťany District, own district. It is the biggest and best known spa town in Slovakia and has around ...
, Slovakia – 13 February 1997) was a Hungarian aircraft designer and father of
Ernő Rubik, the architect who became famous for his mechanical puzzles (e.g. the
Rubik's Cube).
Early life
Rubik was born in
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
(modern day Slovakia). His father was reported to be missing in action in 1915 at the Eastern front.
The
war orphan enrolled in the
Technical University of Budapest in 1929, studying mechanical engineering.
Career
During the 1930s, he designed several gliders for manufacture by
Műegyetemi Sportrepülő Egyesület, the sport flying association of the
Budapest Technical University
The Budapest University of Technology and Economics ( or in short ), official abbreviation BME, is a public university, public research university located in Budapest, Hungary. It is the most significant university of technology in the country ...
. In the years following the Second World War, these designs were followed by a number of powered aircraft, making Rubik the country's most prolific aircraft designer.
[Simpson 1995, 218] These were manufactured by his own enterprise,
Aero-Ever in
Esztergom
Esztergom (; ; or ; , known by Names of European cities in different languages: E–H#E, alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the righ ...
, until the firm was nationalised in 1948 as
Sportárutermelő Vállalat.
Rubik designed 28 gliders and 5 powered aircraft during his career.
One of his most famous aircraft is the
R-26 Góbé, a popular training glider in Hungary.
Personal life
Rubik retired in 1971, and died on 13 February 1997.
His son, also called
Ernő Rubik, is an architect who most famously invented the
Rubik's Cube.
Notable aircraft designed
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MSrE M-20 (1936)
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MSrE M-19 (1937)
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Rubik R-03 Szittya I (1937)
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Rubik R-07 Vöcsök (1937)
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Rubik R-08 Pilis (1939)
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Rubik R-03 Szittya I (1940)
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Rubik R-11b Cimbora (1941)
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Rubik R-17 Móka (1944)
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Rubik R-18 Kánya (1948)
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Rubik R-12 Kevély (1949)
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Rubik R-15 Koma (1949)
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Rubik R-16 Lepke (1949)
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Rubik R-22 Futár (1950)
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OMRE OE-01 (1951)
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Rubik R-23 Gébics (1957)
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Rubik R-25 Mokány (1960)
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Rubik R-26 Góbé (1961)
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Rubik R-27 Kópé (1961/1962)
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Rubik R-31 Dupla (1983)
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rubik, Erno
1910 births
1997 deaths
People from Piešťany
Hungarians in Slovakia
20th-century Hungarian inventors
Aircraft designers