Hanriot H.43

Hanriot · France · first flew 1927 · light aircraft

The Hanriot H.43 was a French military utility biplane used mainly as a trainer by the Aéronautique Militaire between the wars. Unlike Hanriot's 1920s HD.14 developments, it was an entirely new design.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Rectangular fuselage sheathed in removable duralumin plates
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single-bay, staggered biplane with unequal-span wings
Tandem open cockpits, the observer's with a ring mount for twin Lewis guns
Rectangular fuselage sheathed in removable duralumin plates

The prototype H.43 had swept-back wings on both planes, while production aircraft had straight wings and a divided main undercarriage.

Specifications

The Hanriot H.43 has a length of 7.24 m (24 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.6 m (35 ft).
Its maximum speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Two prototypes flew in 1927, built to a Ministry of War requirement for an economical advanced trainer. The structure was four tubular duralumin longerons sheathed in duralumin plates, with a fabric-covered tail.

Variants

The LH.431 of 1928 dropped the wing sweepback of the H.43 and was ordered into production, with 62 built. The LH.432 was a gunnery trainer, the H.438 an export version for Peru and the H.439 a civil trainer.

Where you'll see it

The Aeronautique Militaire ordered the LH.431 as a trainer, and almost 150 aircraft were procured between 1927 and 1933. The aircraft handled easily and was considered suitable for preparing inexperienced pilots.

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