[2] In the spring of 1916, Elisee Alfred Descamps, a French designer and chief engineer of the Anatra company of Odessa was ordered to build a single-seat fighter based on the Anasal two-seat reconnaissance biplane.

Retaining the Anasal's two-bay configuration and fabric-covered wooden construction, the fighter, dubbed the Anadis, differed in having a streamlined fuselage, the rear cockpit removed, provision made for forward-firing armament and the 150 hp Salmson water-cooled radial engine replaced by a similarly-rated Hispano-Suiza V8 water-cooled engine.

[2] The test pilot and designer modified the fighter to recover the second seat and carry extra fuel tanks, the idea being to use it to escape Russia in the event of the impending revolution.

Testing continued until 11 November 1916, the official report to the Imperial Army stating that it was "... not inferior to any German aircraft of the same type and with greater power".

[2] Interestingly, in addition to the identifying Russian cockades, the Anadis was painted very picturesquely: a two-headed eagle with the flags of the Entente countries were drawn on the fuselage and half-naked girls on the wings.