Summary
The Hanriot D.I was a French monoplane racing aircraft, designed in France in 1912 and strongly influenced by Nieuport practice. Examples were built and raced both in France and the UK during 1912.
| D.I | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Racing aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Avions Ponnier |
| Designer | Alfred Pagny |
| First flight | early 1912 |
| Developed into | Ponnier D.III |
Development edit
During 1911 René Hanriot hired Alfred Pagny, previously at Nieuport, as a designer. Pagny's designs reflected Nieuport practice, particularly with the replacement of Hanriot's graceful boat-like shell fuselages with flat sided, deep chested ones.[1] His first such monoplane design for Hanriot was the D.I, often known as the Hanriot-Pagny monoplane though since Hanriot sold his aircraft interests to another of his designers, Louis Alfred Ponnier, later in 1911 this aircraft is alternatively known as the Ponnier D.I.[2]
The Hanriot D.I was a single seat, Nieuport style mid wing monoplane, with slightly tapered, straight edged wings. Landing wires on each side met over the fuselage at a short pyramidal four strut pylon like that on the Nieuport IV. The single, open cockpit was under the pylon. Like the Nieuport, it had a braced, broad chord tailplane, with a strongly swept leading edge, mounted on top of the rectangular section fuselage and a deep, broad chord rudder with no fin moving between the elevators. The undercarriage used the standard Hanriot box with two longitudinal skids forming the lower edge of a cross-braced box, with four legs, a cross bar and an axle forming the other sides. The skids were upturned at the front to avoid nose-overs and the rear of the skid ran on the ground on landing, slowing the aircraft and preventing the tail from hitting the ground.[2][3]
The D.I was powered either by a 50 hp (37 kW) Gnome rotary engine, partially enclosed in an oil deflecting cowling, open at the bottom[2][3] or a 6-cylinder Anzani static radial engine of the same power.[4]
Operational history edit
A D.I performed at Rheims in both 1912 and 1913.[2] In August and September 1912 one appeared in the UK, first at Brooklands and then racing at Hendon.[5] In February 1913 a Hanriot, very similar to the D.I but fitted with a 80 hp (60 kW) Gnome engine made a flight across the Alps.[6]
At least one D.I was built early in 1912 in the UK by the recently founded Hanriot (England) Ltd company.[7]
The Hanriot D.I formed the basis of the much more powerful but otherwise similar Ponnier D.III 1913 Gordon Bennett Trophy racer.
Specifications (Gnome engine) edit
Data from Opdycke, p.208[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: One
- Length: 7.08 m (23 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 8.9 m (29 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 18 m2 (190 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 300 kg (661 lb) with the Anzani engine which was 16 kg (35 lb) heavier than the Gnome.[4]
- Gross weight: 465 kg (1,025 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Gnome 7-cylinder rotary engine, 37 kW (50 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
- Maximum speed: 110 km/h (68 mph, 59 kn)
References edit
- ^ Munson, Kenneth (1969). The Pocket Encyclopedia of World Aircraft in Colour - Pioneer Aircraft 1903-14. London: Blandford Press. p. 145. ISBN 0-7137-0500-0.
- ^ a b c d e Opdycke, Leonard E. (1999). French aeroplanes before the Great War. Atglen, PA, USA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. pp. 208–9. ISBN 0-7643-0752-5.
- ^ a b "Foreign Aviation News". Flight. Vol. IV, no. 20. 18 May 1912. p. 451.
- ^ a b Jane, Fred T. (1969). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1913. London: David & Charles. pp. 95, 4c, 6c. ISBN 0-7153-4388-2.
- ^ "Hendon September meeting". Flight. Vol. IV, no. 37. 14 September 1912. p. 829.
- ^ "Flying the Alps". Flight. Vol. V, no. 5. 1 February 1913. p. 110.
- ^ "From the British Flying Grounds". Flight. Vol. IV, no. 18. 4 May 1912. p. 394.