Hanriot HD.1

Hanriot

Industry	Aviation
Founded	1910s
Headquarters	France
Products	Aircraft

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The Hanriot HD.1 was a French single-seat fighter deployed during World War I. Although the French Air Service opted for the SPAD S.VII over this model, it found extensive use with the Aviation Militaire Belge and the Corpo Aeronautico Militare of the Royal Italian Army, where it achieved considerable success. Out of roughly 1,200 units constructed, Italian manufacturers produced 831 under licence.

Development and production

Before introducing the HD.1 in 1916, the Hanriot firm had developed several innovative monoplanes prior to the war but had primarily been engaged in licensed manufacturing, notably producing Sopwith 1½ strutters. The HD.1 followed a conventional fighter design reminiscent of typical Sopwith aircraft, characterized by a robust yet lightweight structure, streamlined contours, and low wing loading. It featured the same "1½" (or "W") cabane strut configuration as seen on Sopwith two-seaters. While its lower wing was flat, the upper wing exhibited a pronounced dihedral angle.

Powered by a 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhone rotary engine, the aircraft was not exceptionally fast but excelled in agility and was well-regarded by pilots for its safe and enjoyable handling qualities. To optimize climb rate and service ceiling, armament was typically limited to a single synchronised Vickers machine gun, although an additional gun could be fitted and occasionally was. In French-manufactured models, the gun(s) were mounted beside the cockpit, allowing pilots easy access without the weapon's butt obstructing their forward view during a crash—an uncommon yet advantageous design element influenced by the cabane strut layout. Conversely, Italian-built versions generally installed one machine gun in a central position. Production also took place at the Nieuport-Macchi facility in Varese, Italy, which assembled nearly 900 HD.1s between 1917 and 1919—surpassing output at the original manufacturer’s plant.

Operational history

File:Vigna di Valle 20110812 — Macchi Hanriot HD.1.jpg

Macchi-produced HD.1 piloted by ace Flavio Baracchini

Initially intended as a potential successor to the Nieuport 17, the new model was ordered into production but quickly became redundant after the French air service opted to replace the Nieuport with the SPAD S.7. A number of these aircraft were delivered to the French Navy, with some eventually transferred to the U.S. Navy. Certain naval Hanriots were either modified or constructed as floatplanes, featuring larger tail surfaces.

The majority of the early production run was allocated to Belgium, a nation often reliant on Allied surplus equipment. Despite this, the HD.1 performed notably well within Belgian fighter units and remained their primary fighter throughout the conflict. The leading Belgian ace, Willy Coppens, achieved his greatest success flying the HD.1. At least one of his aircraft was experimentally equipped with an 0.43 in (11 mm) Vickers machine gun specifically for balloon busting, a task at which Coppens excelled. Most of his confirmed kills involved balloons, many attained while piloting HD.1s. These planes continued in service until the late 1920s.

The aircraft was also produced in limited quantities for Italy, where it was manufactured extensively and used to replace older Nieuport and SPAD models. Italians regarded it as a superior all-around fighter compared even to the SPAD S.XIII, making it the principal Italian fighter by November 1918, when it equipped 16 out of 18 operational fighter squadrons. After the war, surplus Italian Hanriots found service with various countries, including the Swiss.

In the immediate postwar period, the U.S. Naval Aircraft Factory either constructed or modified around ten HD.1s. These were primarily employed as trainer aircraft but also participated in trials involving take-off platforms on naval vessels. Some were armed with twin machine guns, and at least one featured a hydrovane and flotation bags similar to those developed for use by the Royal Navy.

Surviving aircraft

File:Hanriot HD.1 No.75 RBAF LBG 02.06.73 edited-3.jpg

Hanriot HD.1 No. 75 displaying Belgian Air Force insignia. This aircraft is owned by The Vintage Aviator Limited at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, New Zealand

There are five known preserved HD.1 aircraft housed in museums across Europe and North America:

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• CN 78 at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, located in Brussels

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• CN 515 displayed at the Museo Storico Dell'Aeronautica Militare Italiana in Vigna di Valle, near Rome

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• Exhibited at the Flieger-Flab-Museum in Dübendorf, close to Zurich

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• CN 75 owned by The Vintage Aviator Limited at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, New Zealand. This former Belgian aircraft was rescued before World War II by Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth and previously held by the Royal Air Force Museum. After restoration to flying condition upon acquisition by TVAL, it is occasionally flown from Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, Wairarapa.

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• CN 5934 on display at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California. This particular plane was flown by renowned World War I French ace Charles Nungesser in the 1925 film The Sky Raider. It may have been an HD.2C variant used by the US Navy.

Operators

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• Aviation Militaire Belge
  • 1ère Escadrille de Chasse
• Groupe de Chasse
  • 9ème Escadrille de Chasse
  • 10ème Escadrille de Chasse
  • 11ème Escadrille de Chasse

File:Hanriot HD-1 1919.jpg

U.S. Navy postwar example equipped with hydrovanes and flotation bags

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• French Navy

Ecuador

• Ecuadorian Air Force – Operated a single unit.

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• Corpo Aeronautico Militare – The primary Italian fighter during the final phase of World War I.

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• Paraguayan Air Force – Utilized three aircraft exclusively.

Switzerland

• Swiss Air Force – Operated after the war.

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• United States Navy

Specifications (HD.1)

File:Hanriot HD-1 3 vues.jpg