Hanriot HD.1  #24 

‘The Red Headed Stepchild from Belgium’

The large production numbers of this French designed bi-plane are directly attributed to foreign purchases.  Designed by Pierre Dupont, the HD-1 had excellent flying characteristics.  The type was competing with the Nieuport Company for the French government’s need of low altitude fighters.  The Spad VII had the position for high altitude.  While Nieuport took up most of the French contracts the Hanriot, an aircraft of better flying qualities was availing the lion’s share of its contracts to Italy’s Maachi Aviation (831 licensed built aircraft out of 1700 ordered.)  To a lesser degree variants were sold to America (about 26 aircraft), Belgium (125 aircraft),  France (20-24 aircraft) and Switzerland (16 aircraft.)  The first major modification came when on the Belgian issue the gun was placed centrally rather than being offset.  Also, the sight arrangement was moved from the cabane struts to the gun itself.

This is the Eduard basic 1/48 scale kit #8018. I replaced the interplane struts with brass streamlined items from Aeroclub Ltd.  Control surfaces were repositioned to show actuation. king-post area was opened up to represent the adjustable tail controls on the original aircraft.  Horizontal tail unit struts were replaced with bras rod.  The tail skid was replaced as well. The Engine was detailed adding air intake pipes and pushrods from cut and shaped brass rod and wire. Control horns are from the spares box. The cowling edges were thinned down to sale appearance and the exhaust trough was added by cutting and shaping the existing plastic area. The Vickers gun was replaced with a more detailed item in white metal.  The plastic kit seat was replaced with a etched metal perforated version that was usually seen on this type.

This kit represents Hanriot HD. 1 #24 flown by Count Willy Coppens de Houthulst the adjutant of 9a Escadrille Belge (Belgium) on 19 May 1918.  With 37 victories Count Coppens is known as the Belgian ‘Balloon Buster’.