In 1937, the Hanriot company
designed a new aircraft, the H-230, in response to a program launched
in 1936 by the Ministry of Air for the provision of a two-seater
training aircraft. The goal is to provide the Air Force with a machine
that can train future dual-engine pilots. Five manufacturers respond
to the offer, and it is the proposal of Hanriot that wins the market.
The Hanriot H-230 is a twin-engine
monoplane with a median wing. Mixed construction, metal and wood
covered, it is equipped with a streamlined fixed landing gear and
is powered by two Salmson 6AF-00 172ch driving metal two-blade propellers.
The prototype is equipped with a guyed mono-drift, which will be
abandoned on the series version. The two crew members are seated
in tandem, with the monitor seat in the rear position being elevated
above the student's position to enhance visibility. The H230-01
makes its first flight on July 22, 1937. During the tests, the wingtips
received a significant dihedral to improve stability.
A second prototype is launched
under the designation Hanriot H231. This one differs from the H230
by its motorization which is ensured by two Salmson 6Af-02 of 230ch,
and by the wings which receive a more extended dihedron which starts
after the engine nacelles. The aircraft makes its first flight in
May 1938.
Version H232-01 prefigures
the serial version. The aircraft is now equipped with a retractable
landing gear and receives two 220 hp Renault 6Q-02/03 engines. It
was followed quickly by the H232-02 which made its first flights
in August 1938 and will be tested by the official technical services
from October 1398. The first series aircraft, the Hanriot H232 /
2 will fly in December 1939, equipped with times of a two-drift
tailplane.
The Air Force commands 57
copies, the first aircraft will be delivered in January 1940. They
will be delivered to the 51 ° and 54 ° squadron bombing.
Within these units, they will train the pilots who will fight on
the Breguet 693 assault aircraft. At the Armistice, 35 aircraft
have been delivered. On the abandoned grounds, the Germans recover
some H232 / 2, three of which will be sold to Finland in July 1941.
During the invasion of the free zone, in November 1942, the Germans
will seize twenty devices which, repainted to colors of the occupant,
will form some time the German pilots in the school of Istres before
being scrapped.
Finland, interested by the
new aircraft, bought 22 copies in 1939, designated H232 / 3, but
only 2 will be delivered before the German attack. They will be
used until the end of the war with the three transferred by the
Germans in 1942.
After the war, some surviving
specimens will still be used in France until spare parts are used.
