Karl Urban (29 December 1894 – 12 July 1918) was an Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.

Urban joined the Austro-Hungarian military as war broke out in 1914, volunteering for pilot's school as soon as he finished recruit training.

On 28 August 1916, Urban was severely wounded in action but, after recovering, progressed to flying a Phönix D.I, gaining his fifth and final victory on 19 May 1918.

Transferred to test pilot duty, Urban was looping a new model Phönix D.I on 12 July 1918, when it shed its wings at 1,500 meters altitude.

When the machine's engine quit north of Klevan, Urban managed to glide back and perform a deadstick landing, joining friendly forces near Torczyn.

He and his aerial observer, Oberleutnant Grunne, bombed the depot after penetrating heavy cloud cover and extensive anti-aircraft fire; on the way home, they spotted a previously unknown Russian airfield.

[2] On the morning of 5 May 1916, Urban and Otto Jäger, his aerial observer, engaged a Russian aircraft with a crew of three, possibly a Sikorsky.

On 28 August 1916, flying with a new observer, Urban engaged four Russian planes–three Farman two-seaters and a single-seater Nieuport fighter.

In September, he was awarded his empire's highest honor, the Gold Medal for Braver.y[4] In December 1916, Urban switched to Fliegerkompanie 27.

His Phönix D.I fighter was marked with his initial 'U' in white on a red background band wrapped around the fuselage aft of the cockpit.