The Hanriot HD.1 fighter was a comparative rarity in aviation history: a highly successful, high-performance aircraft that was never adopted by the country that developed it. The HD.1 came along at an awkward moment for a French fighter. It was just too late to compete with the Nieuports that formed the backbone of French fighter aviation in the first years of the war. By the time it appeared, it was eclipsed by the SPAD 7. The SPAD became the standard fighter of the French air force. The French did, however, allow Hanriot to market its new airplane to France’s allies. Belgium bought a modest number, as did the U.S. Navy. But the major user of the HD was Italy.
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