Jump to content

Hanriot

From Alfawiki
Aéroplanes Hanriot et Cie
Company typePrivate
IndustryAircraft manufacturing
PredecessorThe Monoplans Hanriot Company Ltd.
Founded1907
FounderRené Hanriot
Defunct1936
FateMerged with Farman to create Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre (SNCAC)
SuccessorSociété Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre (SNCAC)
Headquarters
Bétheny, Boulogne-Billancourt, Carrières-sur-Seine, Bourges
,
France
Area served
France, Belgium, Italy
Key people
René Hanriot, Marcel Hanriot, Emile Dupont, Outhenin Chalandre
ProductsAircraft (Hanriot-Dupont series fighters and reconnaissance planes, HD.14 trainer, H.220 heavy fighters)
Number of employees
2000 (World War I period)

Aéroplanes Hanriot et Cie.—commonly referred to as 'Hanriot'—was a French aircraft manufacturing company established in 1910 by René Hanriot under the name The Monoplans Hanriot Company Ltd. The firm underwent multiple restructurings and became recognized for producing the Hanriot-Dupont (HD.) series of fighters and reconnaissance planes during the First World War. In 1936, it merged with Farman to create the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre (SNCAC).

Hanriot’s range of aircraft encompassed pre-war monoplanes characterized by their boat-shaped fuselages, World War I biplane fighters such as the HD.1 and HD.2, the extensively utilized HD.14 trainer, and the twin-engine heavy fighters of the H.220 line, which ultimately evolved into the SNCAC 600 fighter prior to World War II.

The company’s main production sites were located in Bétheny (close to Reims), Boulogne-Billancourt, Carrières-sur-Seine, and Bourges.

History

René Hanriot, initially known for building motorboats and competing as a race car driver with Darracq, constructed his first monoplane in 1907; it achieved flight in 1909. His early aircraft designs featured slender wooden monocoque fuselages powered by Darracq and Gyp engines. Hanriot also founded a flying school at Bétheny, where he trained prominent aviators including Beatrix de Rijk, who became the first Dutch woman to earn a pilot’s license.

By 1910, René and his pilots frequently participated in aviation exhibitions across France and England. His son Marcel became one of the youngest licensed pilots at that time and joined as a competitive flyer. Subsequently, René concentrated on aircraft manufacturing.

The 1911 military two-seater model developed by Hanriot failed to attract orders due to its outdated design, trailing behind rivals such as Nieuport and Morane-Saulnier. After unsuccessful military evaluations in 1912, René sold his company’s assets to Louis Alfred Ponnier, who restructured it into Société de Construction de Machines pour la Navigation Aérienne (CMNA), led by ex-Nieuport engineer Alfred Pagny. Marcel Hanriot entered military service in 1913.

CMNA persisted in creating monoplane racing aircraft that achieved notable success before the outbreak of World War I. When Hanriot’s factories near Reims fell behind enemy lines during the conflict, René established a new facility in Levallois dedicated to subcontracting and licensed production of aircraft such as the Sopwith 1½ Strutter and Salmson 2 A.2.

After sustaining injuries in 1915, Marcel Hanriot returned to the company. Together with engineer Emile Dupont, they designed the highly effective HD.1 fighter in 1916. Although the French Air Force opted for the SPAD VII instead, the HD.1 was widely adopted by Belgian and Italian air forces, prompting production growth at Boulogne-Billancourt where up to 5,000 units were manufactured employing around 2,000 workers. Production licenses were also granted to Italy’s Macchi company.

Following World War I, Hanriot broadened its product line with new biplane and monoplane models derived from wartime designs. In 1924, operations relocated to more spacious premises at Carrières-sur-Seine. After René’s death in 1925, leadership transferred to Marcel and his brothers-in-law, who appointed Outhenin Chalandre to manage daily affairs.

In 1930, Hanriot combined forces with Lorraine-Dietrich to form Lorraine-Hanriot, but this partnership dissolved in 1933 when Marcel resumed control. Under his guidance, Hanriot pursued innovative metal military aircraft projects such as the H.220 heavy fighter; however, commercial achievements were mainly realized with liaison and training monoplanes like the H.180/H.182 series and twin-engine trainers including the H.230/H.232.

As part of Pierre Cot’s nationalization initiative in 1936, Hanriot merged with Farman in 1937 to establish SNCAC. Unlike Maurice Farman who resigned in protest, Marcel Hanriot continued serving as a director within the newly formed organization.

Nomenclature

  • Aircraft developed before the war under René Hanriot’s direction employed Roman numerals for designation, with identification details reflecting the year, seating configuration, engine type, and horsepower. For instance, the 1907 monoplane was labeled 'Type I', while the Hanriot VIII was referred to as the 'Hanriot 100 ch' indicating 100 horsepower. The two-seat monoplane created by Pagny is identified as the Hanriot 1912 monoplane or Hanriot-Pagny 1912 monoplane.
  • Biplanes designed during World War I and subsequently by Pierre Dupont were marked with the prefix 'HD.' followed by Arabic numerals, such as HD.1, HD.8, and HD.32.
  • In the era of the Lorraine-Hanriot collaboration, earlier models kept the 'HD.' prefix, whereas newly introduced aircraft carried the 'LH.' prefix with subtype numbers appended immediately after the two-digit model number (for example, HD.320 and HD.321).
  • Following the end of the Lorraine partnership, Hanriot aircraft adopted a simplified naming convention using a single letter 'H.' combined with design and subseries numbers (e.g., H.180 and H.182).

Aircraft

References

  • Bruce J.M., The Hanriot HD 1, Leatherhead: Profile Publications, 1966.
  • James J. Davilla & Arthur M. Soltan, French Aircraft of the First World War, Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997.
  • Kenneth Munson, Pioneer Aircraft 1903-1914, London: Blandford Press, 1969.
  • Leonard E. Opdycke, French Aeroplanes before the Great War, Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1999.

Further reading

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Hanriot&oldid=33834"