Hanriot HD.2

Floatplane Fighter Aircraft

France | 1917

"The Hanriot HD.2 was an extension of the earlier HD.1 with floatplanes added to operate from water sources."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/26/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Firepower

Performance

Survivability

Versatility

Impact

While the French Air Service of World War 1 (1914-1918) ultimately rejected the Hanriot HD.1 in favor of the SPAD S.VII biplane fighter (both detailed elsewhere on this site), the type went on to see operational service under the national flags of others such as the United States, Belgium, and the Kingdom of Italy with total production reaching 1,200 units before the end. Utilizing the same framework of this very capable biplane, France-based Hanriot developed a purpose-built "floatplane fighter" variant under the designation of "HD.2" before the end of 1917 primarily for use by the French Navy (the "Aeronavale").

The aircraft carried a Clerget 9B rotary engine of 130 horsepower and more-or-less maintained the structural form and function of its predecessor. The single-bay, biplane wing arrangement was of unequal span with forward-cranked parallel struts. The mainplane members were situated well-ahead of midships, concentrating the center-of-gravity towards the front of the aircraft. The engine was fitted to a relatively short nose section with the pilot's open-air cockpit directly aft. The fuselage has slab-sides and was generally devoid of obstructions throughout. The tail unit used the same rounded planes as the HD.1 model. The chief physical difference between the two aircraft, of course, was the HD.2's twin floatplane undercarriage which allowed for the requisite water landings and take-offs. A whole new strut network was affixed to the underside of the aircraft for this purpose.

Despite being a floatplane, the aircraft was intended to retain the fighter-like capabilities of the HD.1 so it was well-armed through 2 x 0.303 caliber Vickers Machine Guns in fixed, forward-firing mounts atop the fuselage and synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.

For its evaluation phase, the HD.2 prototypes were tested with different floatplane lengths, with wheeled landing gear arrangements, and - in some cases - different engine installations. Trials were undertaken at Dunkirk with easy access to the water and under controlled circumstances. This work was had throughout the early-to-mid part of 1918 and continued into September. The Armistice to end the war was eventually signed in November of 1918 but the legacy of the HD.2 went on for a time longer.

Basic production forms of the French Navy were designated simply as "HD.2" but there emerged several other experimental forms. The "HD.12" was a one-off model fitting the Le Rhone 9R rotary piston engine of 170 horsepower as well as a wheeled undercarriage for land-based operations. The "HD.27" was another one-off, this time powered by a Hispano-Suiza 8Ac engine of 180 horsepower. The "H.29" saw two built to a standard intended for ship-borne use, these aircraft being powered by a Hispano-Suiza 8Ab series engine.

As completed, the HD.2 had a crew of one. Structurally, it had a running length of 23 feet, a wingspan of 27.10 feet, and a height of 10.1 feet. Empty weight reached 1,100lb with a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 1,540lb possible. Power was from a Clerget 9B series engine of 130 horsepower used to drive a two-bladed wooden propeller at the nose. Maximum reachable speed was 113 miles per hour with a range out to 185 miles and a service ceiling of 15,750 feet.

The United States Navy (USN) contracted for the purchase of ten HD.2 floatplane fighters which, after they had been delivered an operated for a time, were eventually modified locally to a land-based fighting form by the Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF), operating as land-based trainers out of Langley Field under the designation of "HD.2C". At least one was used to experiment with ship-based / ship-launched aircraft which became a design standard of larger warships seen in the Second World War (1939-1945).

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Hanriot HD.2 Floatplane Fighter Aircraft.

1 x Clerget 9B rotary engine developing 130 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

113 mph
182 kph | 98 kts
Max Speed

15,748 ft
4,800 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

186 miles
300 km | 162 nm
Operational Range

865 ft/min
264 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Hanriot HD.2 Floatplane Fighter Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

23.0 ft
7.00 m
O/A Length

27.9 ft
(8.50 m)
O/A Width

10.2 ft
(3.10 m)
O/A Height

1,091 lb
(495 kg)
Empty Weight

1,543 lb
(700 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Hanriot HD.2 Floatplane Fighter Aircraft .

2 x 0.303 Vickers Machine Guns in fixed, forward-firing mountings synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Hanriot HD.2 family line.

HD.2 - Base Series Designation.

HD.2C - USN models with wheeled undercarriage.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Hanriot HD.2. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 100 Units
Contractor(s): Hanriot - France

[ France; United States ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 120mph

Lo: 60mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (113mph).

Graph Average of 90 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

100

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

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Aviation Timeline

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Modern

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Image from the Public Domain.

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT

MARITIME / NAVY

RECONNAISSANCE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Going Further...
The Hanriot HD.2 Floatplane Fighter Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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