Hanriot HD.7

Single-Seat, Single-Engine Biplane Fighter Prototype

France | 1918

"The HD.7 was another late-war biplane fighter entry by the Hanriot concern of France - it lost out to the Nieuport 29."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/29/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The relative successes of the earlier Hanriot series of biplane fighters spurred the company to invest in evolved forms centered on the base design direction. One such entry into the series that began with the HD.1 of 1916 was the "HD.7", a direct development from the HD.3 that appeared during mid-1917. This prototype-only aircraft was drawn up to compete as a possible successor to the in-service SPAD S.XIII, the classic French fighter which appeared in 1917 and went on to see production reach 8,472 units before the end.

Unlike earlier twin-seat Hanriot fighter attempts, the HD.7 reverted back to the HD.1's single-seat layout and continued some of the design lines established through the HD.3. The engine-of-choice became the Hispano-Suiza 8Fb 8-cylinder, water-cooled engine outputting 300 horsepower fitted to the nose and driving a two-bladed wooden propeller. A typical over-under biplane wing arrangement was used that was staggered , single-bayed, and with parallel strut works. The mainplanes were situated well-ahead of midships. A section of the upper wing's trailing edge was cut-out to afford the pilot better upward vision. the pilot sat in an open-air cockpit aft and under the upper wing member. The fuselage, with its slab sides, tapered towards the rear to which a single-finned, rounded rudder was affixed with low-set horizontal planes - a design form not unlike that seen in the HD.3.

To fulfill its combat-minded role, the aircraft was proposed with a pairing of 7.7mm Vickers Machine Guns arranged over the nose and set to fire through the spinning propeller blades via synchronization. Beyond this, the aircraft was limited in any other role besides air-to-air combat with the occasional ground strafe.

The prototype was made ready for a first-flight in mid-1918 with the end of the war just months away (the Armistice would be signed as soon as November 1918). The primary competition for the Hanriot product became the Nieuport 29 (detailed elsewhere on this site), another single-seat biplane design powered by the same engine and armed in the same fashion. While the Hanriot HD.7 proved a sound design, offering capable handling, performance, and firepower, it was ultimately edged out by the impressive Nieuport 29 prototype - which went on to net adoption as well as a serial production contract (1,571 units were completed). Official service introduction of this mount was had in 1922 and the type, rather amazingly, flew into the 1930s.

As for the Hanriot HD.7, the sole prototype was all that was had from the venture and development on the new fighter was ultimately abandoned as the company continued to push other biplanes for the near-future.

As completed, the HD.7 had a length of 23.7 feet, a wingspan of 32 feet, and a height of 9.9 feet. Empty weight reached 2,715lb with a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 4,200lb. The Hispano-Suiza 8Fb engine, rated at 300 horsepower, provided the aircraft with a maximum speed of 135 miles-per-hour which, by World War 1 standards - was impressive. Range was out to 560 miles.

In comparison, the winning Nieuport 29 could reach speeds of 146 miles-per-hour, fly out to 360 miles, and attain an altitude of up to 27,885 feet.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Hanriot HD.7 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Biplane Fighter Prototype.

1 x Hispano-Suiza 8Fb 8-cylinder water-cooled engine developing 300 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

135 mph
218 kph | 118 kts
Max Speed

559 miles
900 km | 486 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Hanriot HD.7 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Biplane Fighter Prototype.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

23.6 ft
7.20 m
O/A Length

32.2 ft
(9.80 m)
O/A Width

9.8 ft
(3.00 m)
O/A Height

2,712 lb
(1,230 kg)
Empty Weight

4,189 lb
(1,900 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Hanriot HD.7 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Biplane Fighter Prototype .

PROPOSED:
2 x 7.7mm Vickers Machine Guns in fixed, forward-facing mountings over the nose and synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Hanriot HD.7 family line.

HD.7 - Base Project Designation; single, flyable prototype completed.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Hanriot HD.7. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 1 Units
Contractor(s): Hanriot - France

[ France (cancelled) ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The Hanriot HD.7 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Biplane Fighter Prototype appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)