AISA HM.1

AISA · Spain · first flew 1943 · light aircraft

The HM.1 was a two-seat low-wing primary trainer designed by Pedro Huarte-Mendicoa for Spain's INTA and manufactured by AISA, entering service with the Spanish Air Force in 1943. Approximately 200 were built across a family of seven variants spanning more than a decade.

Recognition (WEFT)

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Spot it by:

• Low-wing two-seat primary trainer with tailwheel undercarriage
• Radially cowled inline Elizalde Tigre engine
• Straight, unswept wings with rounded tips

A conventional low-wing monoplane trainer with a straight wing, tailwheel undercarriage, and the distinctive inline Elizalde engine with a long-chord cowling. Similar in layout to the contemporary Focke-Wulf Fw 44.

Specifications

• The AISA HM.1 has a length of 7.65 m (25 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 9.65 m (32 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 230 km/h (143 mph).
• Typical crew: 2.

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

History

Designed under post-Civil War Spanish austerity conditions, the HM.1 used the locally produced Elizalde Tigre inline engine and straightforward all-metal construction. Its robust handling and docile stall characteristics made it well-suited for primary training, and successive variants progressively added power, seating, and capability.

Variants

The family grew to seven marks including the HM.7 four-seat liaison aircraft first flown in 1947; later variants used more powerful engines and enclosed cockpits.

Where you'll see it

Served the Spanish Air Force as a primary trainer throughout the 1940s and into the 1950s, forming the backbone of Spain's early postwar pilot training syllabus.

Related aircraft

• AISA I-11
• Piper NE-2
• Stearman N2S-5 Kaydet
• Turbay T-1 Tucán
• Aeronca Champion

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