| HD.31, HD.32, and HD.34 | |
|---|---|
| The prototype HD.31 demonstrating at Coventry Airport in June 1954 | |
| Role | Airliner |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Hurel-Dubois |
| First flight | 29 December 1953 |
| Primary user | Institut Géographique National |
| Number built | 10 |
The Hurel-Dubois HD.31, HD.32, and HD.34 were a family of civil aircraft produced in France in the 1950s, based on Maurice Hurel's high aspect ratio wing designs.
Tests with the Hurel-Dubois HD.10 research aircraft had validated Hurel's ideas about the practicality of such wings, and the French government agreed to sponsor the construction of two prototypes of a medium-range airliner utilising this same principle. These aircraft, the HD.31 and HD.32 were conventional designs in all respects other than their unorthodox wings, and differed from one another only in their powerplants, although both were later converted to use the same engines. The twin-tails originally fitted were also later replaced by a large single tail fin, and with their new engines and tails, they were redesignated HD.321.01 and HD.321.02.
Air France originally placed an order for 24 aircraft to use as feederliners, but these were cancelled before they were constructed.
A batch of eight aircraft was, however, ordered by the Institut Géographique National. The aircraft's wings made it ideal for long-duration, low-speed flight, ideal for aerial photography and survey work. These machines were designated HD.34 and were fitted with an extensively-glased nose and a retractable nosewheel. They flew with IGN between the late 1950s and mid 1970s. A single example remains airworthy, operated by the Association des Mécaniciens-Pilotes d'Aéronefs Anciens.
General characteristics
Performance
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