Hanriot-Dupont HD.1
The single-seated biplane was designed by Pierre Dupont at the Hanriot factories in 1916. The fighter was valued for its robust construction and good manoeuvrability. The single-seated fighter was manufactured in large numbers after the maiden-flight of the prototype in June 1916 and was in service from the beginning of 1917 until the end of the war. However, it was almost totally ignored by the French in favour of the Nieuports. Belgium and Italy on the other hand equipped their air squadrons with the HD.1 and were very successful with their employment. In Italy the HD.1 was finally manufactured under license and declared as the official Italian standard fighter from the middle of 1917 on.
Of the 18 fighting squadrons of the Italian air force 16 consisted completely of HD.1's. In addition a new unit of Italian navy aircraft were equipped with them. The Belgium air force was enthusiastic about their benefits kept them in service until 1926. When the French started to station aircraft on war ships in 1918 lieutenant de Vaisseau Georges Guierre took off from a platform of the war ship "Paris" with one of the few Hanriot HD.1 employed in France.
Not only was the HD.1 inferior to the enemy fighters in speed but the armament and propulsion weren't satisfactory either. However, it compensated this by its manoeuvrability and handling characteristics. The fighter pilots valued its well tuned flight control. In addition the construction was very robust and structurally very resilient. Its superiority showed most clearly in December 1917 when the Italians shot down eleven German reconnaissance aircraft without own losses in the air battle of Istrana.
The Italian Macchi-factories built a total of 831 aeroplanes under licence. French sources speak of a total of 1,145 manufactured aeroplanes. After the First World War Switzerland bought 16 aircraft from Italian surplus supplies. Other HD.1's went to various countries in Latin America.
Hanriot constructed the aircraft out of wood and with a fabric cover, provided the tail plane in steel tube frames and covered the front fuselage with dural sheets. The wing assembly was very compact and had strongly staggered wings of unequal length and depth. The upper wing was slightly shifted forward and curved to a V-shape. The fuselage was rectangular, rounded at the top and blended gradually into the metal cowl of the rotary engine. The original Le-Rhone 9J engine with 110 HP was replaced again and again by more powerful types. Eventually, a final solution was found in the Le-Rhone 9R engine that had a power of 170 HP.
Technical data
Hanriot-Dupont HD.1
| Type | single-seated fighter |
| Power plant |
one air-cooled Le-Rhone 9J rotary engine with 110 HP (80.9 kW) later one Le-Rhone 9R engine with 170 HP |
| Year of construction | from 1917 on |
Perfomance
| Maximum speed | 183 km/h in ground proximity and sea-level |
| Rate of climb |
climbs to 2,000 m in 5.10 min to 3000 m in 11 min. |
| Ceiling | 6,400 m |
| Operational range | 550 km |
| Endurance | 2 hrs and 30 min |
Weight
| Empty weight | 407 kg |
| Take-off weight | 605 kg |
Dimensions
| Length | 5.85 m |
| Height | 2.55 m |
| Wing area | 18 qm |
| Span | 8.70 m |
| Crew | 1 person | |
| Useful load/armament |
one fixed, synchronized 7.7 mm Vickers machine gun over the nose |
Stock Quotes
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