Hennion two-seater

The Hennion was a two-seat French training and touring aircraft, completed just before World War II began. It was flown again post-war and later fitted with a new engine; it survived into the early 1960s.

Hennion
Role Two seat sports aircraft
National origin France
Designer Emile Hennion
First flight 28 August 1939
Retired 1962
Status Destroyed
Number built 1

Design and development

Emile Hennion was the chief pilot at the Casablanca Aero Club in the 1930s. Just before the outbreak of World War II he designed, built and flew a side-by-side seat two seat aircraft, powered by a Train 4A 01 inverted four cylinder air-cooled engine which produced only 30 kW (40 hp).[1][2] His goals were safety in the hands of a beginner, economy, comfort and true touring ability.[1] The first two features made it of some interest as an ab initio trainer after France had gone to war.[3]

In this pre-war form it was known as the Hennion 01. It was a low wing, cantilever monoplane, its wings straight tapered with blunt tips and of quite high aspect ratio (10). The wings were built around a single spar and fabric covered, though the ailerons were plywood skinned.[1]

The fuselage was flat sided and ply skinned, except behind the cockpit where rounded, raised decking was fabric covered. The Hennion's cockpit was fully enclosed under a two piece canopy with a sliding rear component. Its two seats were equipped with dual controls. Behind them there were luggage and light baggage/chart spaces, respectively 900 mm × 300 mm × 530 mm (35 in × 12 in × 21 in) and 900 mm × 200 mm × 400 mm (35 in × 8 in × 16 in). The inverted Train engine in the nose drove a two blade propeller and its fuel tank held 85 L (18.7 imp gal; 22.5 US gal).[1] At the rear the vertical tail was tall, with an unbalanced rudder which reached down to the keel and a fuselage mounted tailplane ahead of it.[3] The Hennion had a tail wheel undercarriage with a track of 2.20 m (86.6 in), its spatted main wheels on vertical, streamlined legs.[1] The Hennion 01 flew for the first time on 28 September 1939 at Casablanca. Despite the low power, it had a maximum speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) and cruised at 125–130 km/h (78–81 mph). Cruising, it used about 10 L (2.2 imp gal; 2.6 US gal) per hour, giving it a range around 1,000 km (620 mi). Landing speed was 45 km/h (28 mph).

The Hennion 01 survived the war and was flown again in 1949, now on the French civil register as F-WFOY.[2][4] After a period of disuse, it was re-engined in 1956 with a 48 kW (65 hp) Continental A65 air-cooled flat-four in a revised nose and redesignated the Hennion II.[2] The extra power gave a useful increase in speed despite an increase in empty weight of about 17%.[1][2] On 4 February 1962 it was destroyed at Meknes.[4]

Variants
Hennion 01
pre-war version with Train engine
Hennion II
1956 revision with a more powerful Continental engine

Specifications (Hennion II)

Data from Gaillard (1990)[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Two
  • Length: 7.30 m (23 ft 11 in)
  • Wingspan: 12.60 m (41 ft 4 in)
  • Wing area: 15.5 m2 (167 sq ft)
  • Aspect ratio: 10[1]
  • Airfoil: NACA 23012[1]
  • Empty weight: 352 kg (776 lb)
  • Gross weight: 572 kg (1,261 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental A65 air-cooled flat-four, 48 kW (65 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 170 km/h (110 mph, 92 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 145 km/h (90 mph, 78 kn)

References
  1. "L'avion léger d'Emile Hennion". Les Ailes. 1939 (961): 12. 28 December 1939.
  2. Gaillard, Pierre (1990). Les Avions Francais de 1944 à 1964. Paris: Éditions EPA. p. 179. ISBN 2 85120 350 9.
  3. "Ne peut-en utiliser le biplace de 40CV comme avion de début?". Les Ailes. 1940 (966): 12. 1 February 1940.
  4. Chillon, Jacques. Fox Papa - Registre des avions Français amateur (2009 ed.). Brive: Ver Luisant. p. 54. ISBN 978-2-3555-1-066-3.
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