Handley-Page O/100

Development of the Handley-Page O/100 was slowed only because Britain had never built such a large aeroplane before, and every part of the plane had to be thoroughly tested before the whole could be tested in December 1915. While it was originally envisioned to be powered by two 150hp Sunbeam engines, by late 1915 the excellent Rolls-Royce Eagle was available. Each 250hp engine was mounted in a nacelle with its own fuel tank. The long wings were made to fold (for both transportation and the use of standard hangars), and wires from upper king-posts supported the wide upper wing extensions. A box tail was an early innovation, providing better control in case of single engine failure as well as widening the rear arc of fire. They trickled into bombing units in France starting in November 1916, including the third example which was accidentally landed at a German airfield on its maiden cross-Channel flight.

While several O/100's were ferried over the Channel in the early months of 1917, it wasn't until the night of 16/17 March 1917 that they carried out their first combat mission, a raid on the railroad station at Moulin-les-Metz by Third Wing RNAS.

Though their numbers were never large, they could deliver the same bomb load as more than three Short Bombers or six Airco D.H.4s, so they were quite effective even in ones and twos. By autumn of 1917 they were flying in larger groups, eventually supplemented by the O/400.

Aircraft Chart

1:144 Scale

 * Metal+Resin kit: