Dragutin Novak

Dragutin Karlo Novak (Zagreb, February 16, 1892 - Zagreb, October 31, 1978), was first person in Croatia to make a heavier-than-air flight. He flew a plane constructed by Slavoljub Eduard Penkala, June 22, 1910.

Novak flew in an airplane made by constructor Slavoljub Penkala from the military training-field in Črnomerec, Zagreb. Later, during one of Novak's flying achievements, on 20 October 1910, the airplane was damaged and Penkala gave up aircraft design.

Novak was born in Zagreb, in Ilica 19 street. During his youth, his parents died so his aunt cared for him, "harmonizing" his life. He attended elementary school in Zagreb, then went to convent school in Tropavy (Silesia). He then continued in mechanical trade, specializing in mechanics. In 1910, he left Zagreb and went to his sister in Budapest, where he was successful in an airplane competition. Shortly afterwards, he returned Zagreb and took employment in the business of Slavoljub Penkala, who was engaged in the construction of airplanes, becoming his right hand in manufacturing and proving the flight characteristics until the first flight in Croatia. He worked there until Penkala’s decision to abandon further work on airplanes.

He was invited to join photographer and entrepreneur Mihajlo Merčep, who had a hangar next to with Penkala’s. He brought his brothers Joško and Edvard Rusjan from Slovenia to Zagreb. Financially aided by Merčep, they started to build their own airplane. (Otherwise, in spite of the impression created in and about a part of the community, mainly by his merit, Mihajlo Merčep bad never taken to flying himself, nor he was a constructor or similarly; he was the entrepreneur who decided to share the glory of Edvard Rusjan and later of Dragutin Novak, deciding that the future of aviation is knocking on the door.) Novak joined them and helped in the construction and building of an airplane. By the end of 1910, Edvard Rusjan was test flying over Zagreb. After Edvard Rusjan was killed in Beograd, in 1911, Novak worked with Joško Rusjan on the handful of versions of Rusjan's airplanes (now Merčep – Rusjan's), and essentially improved the controls for the pitch (elevators) and roll (ailerons).

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