Hanriot HD.1
Weekend Edition

Eduard, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

Eduard's 1/48 scale Hanriot HD.1 Weekend Edition is available online from Squadron.com
 

The Hanriot was a well balanced aircraft with elegant looks and gentle flying characteristics.

That makes this French fighter a popular subject amongst modellers and recent research suggests over 1500 were built. Although rejected by the French in favour of the SPAD 7, it was still used extensively by the Italians and Belgians. It also soldiered on in the post war era and thus wore a staggering array of markings and colour schemes.

This of course makes it an ideal candidate for the popular “Weekend Edition” boxing.

There are 54 flash-free plastic parts which includes a clear piece for the windscreen (although sadly mine was broken). The mouldings have held up very well over time with the detail still retaining its original sharpness and clarity. Only one very small sink mark was found and this is located on the ammo chute. Filling this depression is simple enough and will not result in any loss of detail.

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The kit was based around Ian Stair’s drawings found in the 1988 Albatros Productions Datafile on the subject. Naturally the outlines of all parts matched perfectly. This publication has since been updated with No. 92 in the series due to more information coming to light.

The plans in this issue are courtesy of Marty Digmayer and incorporate both early and late details, these relating to the airframe of French and Italian machines. Naturally modellers will make up their own mind regarding how much of this extra detail to include on their build.

Note that the simple overlay of parts on the latter’s general arrangement drawings will not work in every case.  This is because some of the printed pages are not sized to the scale indicated. Hence always be guided by the graduated rule on the page, that’s what it’s there for!

Construction starts with the interior and along with the fuselage halves, 15 parts make up this area. Additional to this, Eduard provides a moulded on representation of the side wall structure and everything fits snugly when the two halves are brought together. The stringers are nicely rendered and care should be taken not to disturb these when cleaning up the “turtle deck”.

Both wings are manufactured as single pieces and as such, there is no need to worry about setting the aircraft’s dihedral. The portrayal of the rib positions are a little heavier than what we see on Eduard’s latest releases, but this will not concern the majority of modellers. Trailing edges are always a focal point of these aircraft and those found on the main flying surfaces are commendably thin.

To accommodate the slotted cowl, a separate lower section is supplied.  The simple filling and sanding of this area will easily eradicate any join lines and the single piece engine fits snugly inside.

The unusual positioning of the struts will prove to be an interesting challenge. A jig is highly recommended and your favourite slow setting glue will not go amiss. If the struts appear to not fit very well, don’t despair. Past experience revealed that the instruction sheet had some of these items incorrectly numbered (the more tapered struts belong at the front).
The manufacturer must be applauded for supplying the one-piece “trestle” above the fuselage though, which greatly simplifies matters.

A rigging diagram helps to finish the model which can be augmented by the attractive box art.

Markings

A single colour scheme is catered for and this is for the machine of Hanriot HD.1, #4386 – 81 Squadriglia Caccia, IV Gruppo Aeroplani, Italy, 1917/18.

The sheet itself is superbly printed with all items in perfect register. There is a minimum of carrier film and all of the colours appear to have good density. The stitching is a welcome inclusion and the dial faces for the instruments are also appreciated.

The Hanriot can be found in a vast array of interesting markings. As such it represents an ideal choice for reissuing in the current format.

These “Weekend Edition” don’t contain any photo-etched parts, resin, or multiple colour schemes. This allows them to be priced competitively compared to other releases. The result is a “no frills” kit that provides for a quick and simple build while still allowing the modeller to produce a quality result straight from the box.

Thanks to Eduard for the sample

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2010 by Rob Baumgartner
Page Created 9 March, 2010
Last updated 22 March, 2010

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