Hanriot
Hanriot H.26
The Hanriot H.26 was a French prototype fighter developed in the 1920s by the SRAS (Société des Avions Hanriot). Conceived as a response to the post‑World War I demand for modern, high‑performance aircraft, the H.26 first flew in 1922 under the guidance of chief designer Emile Hanriot. Its airframe employed a mixed wood‑and‑metal construction, featuring a sleek, low‑drag fuselage and a single‑bay biplane wing layout with slight stagger to improve pilot visibility. Powered by a 300 hp Hispano‑Suiza 8Fb V‑8 engine, the aircraft achieved a top speed of 240 km/h and a service ceiling of 8,500 meters, making it competitive with contemporary fighters such as the Nieuport-Delage NiD 29.
Although only two prototypes were completed, the H.26 introduced several innovations. It incorporated a variable‑incidence tailplane for better longitudinal stability and an early form of aerodynamic balancing on the ailerons, reducing control forces. The design also experimented with metal wing ribs, a precursor to the all‑metal structures that dominated later in the decade.
The H.26 never entered mass production, but its experimental advances influenced subsequent Hanriot models, especially the H.28 and H.35 trainers, and demonstrated the company's transition from wartime biplanes to more modern aircraft concepts that shaped French aviation in the interwar period.
Although only two prototypes were completed, the H.26 introduced several innovations. It incorporated a variable‑incidence tailplane for better longitudinal stability and an early form of aerodynamic balancing on the ailerons, reducing control forces. The design also experimented with metal wing ribs, a precursor to the all‑metal structures that dominated later in the decade.
The H.26 never entered mass production, but its experimental advances influenced subsequent Hanriot models, especially the H.28 and H.35 trainers, and demonstrated the company's transition from wartime biplanes to more modern aircraft concepts that shaped French aviation in the interwar period.
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Classification
Production & History
- First Flight
- 1923
Design & Classification
- Primary Use
- Country of Origin
- Manufacturer
- Hanriot
- Engine
- Salmson Z9
- Wikidata ID
- Q17077466