Evening All
Here are a few pictures of the completed model. This is a difficult model to photograph because it is so big!
The Handley Page 0/400 was a development of the earlier 0/100 which had been designed at the request of the Admiralty in December 1914. The 0/100 design was a twin engined biplane powered by Rolls Royce Eagle engines and entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service in November 1916 where it was initially deployed on anti-shipping and anti-submarine patrols off the coast of France and Belgium. In April 1917 they began to be used to bomb U-boat bases, railway stations and industrial centres. However the type was soon superseded by the 0/400 which differed in having the fuel tanks removed from the engine nacelles to the fuselage, resulting in the engine nacelles being much shorter. The 0/400 also used higher powered later versions of the Eagle engine, so improving weight lifting capacity and speed. Some 0/400's were fitted with Fiat A or Sunbeam Maori engines.
The 0/400 entered active serve in April 1917 as a day bomber in France being deployed against similar targets to the 0/100. In October they were transferred to night raids.They were by far the most numerous and therefore most important heavy bomber in RAF service in 1918 there being 250 machines on charge in October 1918. During the last two months of the war the 1650lb bomb was used against targets including the railway station at Saarbrucken.
The type remained in RAF service until 1920 where a small number were converted to act as VIP transports, the remainder being retained as bombers. With the drastic reduction in the size of the RAF in the early post war years the type was declared obsolete and scrapped.
A small number were converted by Handley Page into passenger and freight carrying transports and operated by Handley Page Transport limited on route proving on overseas air routes, thus helping to establish international air passenger travel.
Thanks for looking.
