Hanriot HD.5

History

During the First World War (1914-1918), the French Hanriot was able to deliver several combat capable biplanes through several successful designs, starting with the HD. 1 (detailed elsewhere on this website). Successor HD. 2 became its seaplane derivative, and the line was improved with the addition of HD. 3 A few weeks before the end of the war (November 1918).

To push the line further, the company was working on a new biplane fighter as early as early 1918 to attract potential buyers at the end of the war - it was the "HD.5".

HD. 5 continues the form and function established by HD. The 3 includes its two-seat tandem crew arrangement, with the pilot at the front and the gunner at the rear.

The biplane configuration was traditional for that period, although now there is no stagger, unlike the staggered pair seen on the HD. 3. The members are supported by parallel struts, and the span is large, and the latter requires two compartments to support the length.

The crew is located forward of the center of the boat, and very uniquely, the leading and trailing edges of the upper wing are cut away to make room for the pilot and gunner - which also brings the upper wing closer to the hull. hull while improving visibility for both crew members. Another change from earlier HD. 3 Features a Hispano-Suiza 8Fb 8-cylinder water-cooled inline engine producing 300 hp to drive the wooden propeller blades on the nose. The empennage is usually mounted with a single circular large area rudder and a low overhang level.

A typical two-wheel/tail skid undercarriage is used for ground operations.

Like other Hanriot fighters, HD. 5 Well-equipped: 2 x 7.7mm Vickers machine guns mounted on fixed mounts on the front of the nose, controlled by the pilot, and 1 or 2 x 7.7mm Lewis machine guns mounted on a trainable mount in the rear cockpit for the gunner/observer.

The forward-facing guns are fired synchronously by rotating propeller blades.

HD. 5 prototypes were tested in the spring of 1918, the end of the war was still in doubt. However, the only test vehicle was all that was available for the project, but its design was used to influence the development of the HD. 7. The navalized fighter version that appeared after the war.

HD. 6 was developed in parallel with HD. 5 and originated from a very different development of the biplane, described elsewhere on this page.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes