Hanriot HD.7

History

The relative success of the early Hanriot series of biplane fighters prompted the company to invest in more advanced forms, focusing on basic design directions. Such an entry into a series that starts with HD. The 1 in 1916 was "HD. 7", a direct further development of HD. 3, appeared in mid-1917.

This pure prototype aircraft was designed to compete as a possible successor to the active SPAD S. XIII, the classic French fighter launched in 1917 with a final production run of 8,472.

Unlike the previous two Hanriot fighter attempts, HD. 7 Go back to HD again. 1 and continues some of the design lines established by HD. 3. The engine chosen is a Hispano-Suiza 8Fb 8-cylinder water-cooled engine rated at 300 hp, mounted in the nose and driving a two-blade wooden propeller. A typical upper and lower biplane wing arrangement was used, with staggered, single-ply and parallel struts.

The main aircraft is far ahead of the midship. A portion of the trailing edge of the upper wing has been cut away to give the pilot better upward visibility. The pilot sits aft in an open-air cockpit and under the upper wing panels. The plate-side fuselage tapers to the rear, on which a single-blade circular rudder is mounted, with a lower horizontal planea design not dissimilar to that of the HD.

3.

To fulfill its combat-oriented role, the aircraft was proposed to have a pair of 7.7mm Vickers machine guns mounted on the nose and designed to fire synchronously through rotating propeller blades. Additionally, the aircraft is limited to any role other than air combat, with occasional ground attacks.

The prototype was ready for its maiden flight in mid-1918, just a few months before the end of the war (the armistice would be signed as early as November 1918). The main competitor to Hanriot's product is the Nieuport 29 (detailed elsewhere on this site), another single-seat biplane design powered by the same engine and armed in the same way.

During Hanriot HD. The 7 proved to be a solid design, offering great handling, performance and firepower, it was eventually replaced by the impressive Nieuport 29 prototype, which resulted in net acceptance and serial production contracts (1,571 units completed) . The official introduction of this mount was in 1922, and this mount flew amazingly into the 1930s.

Same as Hanriot HD. The 7 was the company's only remaining prototype, and development of the new fighter was eventually abandoned as the company continued to push development of other biplanes in the near future.

When done, HD. The 7 has a length of 23.7 feet, a wingspan of 32 feet, and a height of 9.9 feet. Curb weight reaches 2,715 lbs and maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 4,200 lbs. A Hispano-Suiza 8Fb engine rated at 300 hp allowed the aircraft to reach a top speed of 135 mph, which was impressive by World War I standards.

The range is 560 miles.

By comparison, the Victorious Nieuport 29 can reach speeds of 146 miles per hour, fly up to 360 miles, and reach altitudes of up to 27,885 feet.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

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