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A model of the Lojze airplane made by Albin Novak is kept by the Technical
Museum of Slovenia and is on permanent display.
Technical Museum of Slovenia. Photo: Sanja Živković
COMPETITION LOJZE
Bloudek became enthralled with airplanes
when he was a schoolboy. He initially built
model airplanes, but would go on to design
fully-fledged flying machines. In 1928/29 he de-
signed a light two-seater sports airplane, the
Bloudek XV, also known as the Lojze. The aircraft
successfully competed until 1934, when the pi-
lot Janko Colnar suffered a fatal crash at an air
show in Zagreb. Bloudek was so shaken by the
accident that he stopped designing aircraft.
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Bloudek’s ill-fated Lojze airplane, 1930.
Museum of Sport.