Handley Page Type O
Encyclopedia
The Handley Page Type O was an early biplane
bomber
used by Britain
during the First World War
. At the time, it was the largest aircraft that had been built in the UK and one of the largest in the world. It was built in two major versions, the Handley Page O/100 (H.P.11) and Handley Page O/400 (H.P.12).
's Director of the Air Department
, Captain
Murray Sueter
requested "a bloody paralyser" of an aircraft from Frederick Handley Page
for long-range bombing. The phrase had originated from Commander Charles Rumney Samson
who had returned from the front.
Coastal patrol adaptations to be developed from the unbuilt Handley Page L/200
and internally designated M/200 and MS/200 for their 200 hp/150 kW engines were initially discussed but Sueter's technical advisor Harris Booth favoured a large seaplane
for coastal patrol and dockyard defence that would also be capable of bombing the German High Seas Fleet
at its base in Kiel
: a prototype (the AD Seaplane Type 1000
) had already been commissioned from J Samuel White & Co. of Cowes
.
Handley Page responded to the Navy's requirements with a biplane having a wingspan of 100 ft/30 m (the original source of the O/100 designation). The first prototype flew on 7 December 1915 and featured a glazed cockpit
and armour sufficient to protect from rifle fire around the crew compartment and engines. The aircraft proved somewhat underpowered, so the glazing and armour were deleted on the second prototype that flew the following April and formed the basis for series production of the machine. A total of 46 of the O/100s were built.
The success of the type prompted the development of an uprated version with more powerful engines, a new bombsight and other refinements—designated the O/400. First flying in 1918, over 400 were supplied before the Armistice
. Another 107 were licence-built in the USA by the Standard Aircraft Corporation
(out of a total order of 1,500 by the air corps). Forty-six out of an order for 50 were built by Clayton & Shuttleworth
in Lincoln.
of the RNAS's 5th Wing at Dunkirk in late 1916. Their first combat came on the night of March 16, 1917 when a single aircraft was sent to bomb a railway junction at Moulins-lès-Metz
. Initially, they were also used for daylight attacks, damaging a German destroyer
on 23 April 1917, but the loss of an aircraft to fighter attack two days later resulted in a switch to exclusive night attacks, usually by single aircraft against German occupied Channel ports, railway targets and airfields. O/100s were also used for anti-U boat patrol off the mouth of the River Tees
in September 1917, while a single O/100 was flown to Moudros
on the Greek
island of Lemnos
, being used to carry out bombing raids on Constantinople
.
The improved O/400 started to enter service in April 1918, gradually allowing the re-equipment of more squadrons, being used for both support for the ground forces on the Western Front, particlularly during the German Spring Offensive
, and for strategic bombing
under the control of the Independent Air Force
. The O/400s could carry a new 1,650 lb (750 kg) bomb which were aimed with the Drift Sight Mk 1A bombsight. In service, they were deployed in force, with up to 40 aircraft participating in a raid. A single O/400 also served with 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps in the Middle East.
After the war, O/400s remained in British service until replaced by the Vickers Vimy
towards the end of 1919. War-surplus aircraft were converted for civilian use in the UK and nine were used by Handley Page's pioneering airline, Handley Page Transport
.
Six aircraft were assembled post-war for sale to Republican China
under the designation O/7, principally for use as transports. These were delivered to China and re-assembled at Nanyuan
near Beijing
. The aircraft flew their first service, carrying both airmail
and passengers, between Beijing and Tientsin
on 7 May 1920. These services were disrupted by the outbreak of civil war, with the aircraft being taken over by various warlords
.
During the First Zhili-Fengtian War
, O/7 bombers carried three 200 lb (90 kg) bombs, and played a significant role in the victory of the Zhili clique since the opposing Fengtian clique
had only liaison and reconnaissance aircraft. During the Second Zhili-Fengtian War
, O/7 bombers of the Fengtian clique carried a single 500 lb (230 kg) bomb. They played an important role in the battle of Stone Gate Camp (Shi Mei Zhai, 石門寨) near Shanhai Pass
on 19 October 1924. An O/7 bomber - piloted by a White Russian
- dropped its single 500 lb (230 kg) bomb on the densely packed Zhili force on the ground, causing large casualties. Consequently, the enemy's morale collapsed, resulting in the Zhili clique losing the battle.
The legacy of the aircraft was such that for many years after the war, any large aircraft came to be called a "Handley Page" in Britain. Furthermore, the aircraft plays a prominent part in the short story Turnabout by William Faulkner
; the story provides an insider's view of what it was like to fly the Type O in combat. The importance of the Type O to the company cannot be overestimated, establishing the firm as a maker of large multi-engine aircraft.
Prior to 1924, Handley Page used an alphabetical system for aircraft designations and the Type O followed the Type M and Type N. Type O aircraft are very frequently misnamed as "Handley Page 0/100" and "0/400" with a numeral "0" instead of the letter "O". The company designations "H.P.11" and "H.P.12" were applied retrospectively after the change to the use of type numbers in 1924.
O/400
O/7
O/10
O/11
India
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
used by Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. At the time, it was the largest aircraft that had been built in the UK and one of the largest in the world. It was built in two major versions, the Handley Page O/100 (H.P.11) and Handley Page O/400 (H.P.12).
Development and design
As early as December 1914 during the First World War the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Director of the Air Department
Air Department
The Air Department of the British Admiralty was established prior to World War I by Winston Churchill. Its function was to foster naval aviation developments and later to oversee the Royal Naval Air Service . Its first director was Captain Murray Sueter...
, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Murray Sueter
Murray Sueter
Sir Murray Fraser Sueter, CB, MP was a Royal Naval officer who was noted as a pioneer of naval aviation and later became a Member of Parliament .-Naval career:...
requested "a bloody paralyser" of an aircraft from Frederick Handley Page
Frederick Handley Page
Sir Frederick Handley Page, CBE, FRAeS was an English industrialist who was a pioneer in the design and manufacture of aircraft. His company Handley Page Limited produced a series of military aircraft, including the Halifax bomber in World War II, of which around 7,000 were produced...
for long-range bombing. The phrase had originated from Commander Charles Rumney Samson
Charles Rumney Samson
Air Commodore Charles Rumney Samson CMG, DSO & Bar, AFC was a British naval aviation pioneer. He also operated the first British armoured vehicles in combat...
who had returned from the front.
Coastal patrol adaptations to be developed from the unbuilt Handley Page L/200
Handley Page Type L
-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft since 1907. London: Putnam, 1976. ISBN 0 370 00030 7.* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8....
and internally designated M/200 and MS/200 for their 200 hp/150 kW engines were initially discussed but Sueter's technical advisor Harris Booth favoured a large seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
for coastal patrol and dockyard defence that would also be capable of bombing the German High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
at its base in Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
: a prototype (the AD Seaplane Type 1000
AD Seaplane Type 1000
-References:NotesBibliography*Goodall, Mike. "Wight Elephants: Murray Sueter's Quest for a Large Military Aircraft". Air Enthusiast, No. 73, January/February 1998. Stamford, Lincs, UK:Key Publishing. ISSN 0143 5450. pp.14-19....
) had already been commissioned from J Samuel White & Co. of Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
.
Handley Page responded to the Navy's requirements with a biplane having a wingspan of 100 ft/30 m (the original source of the O/100 designation). The first prototype flew on 7 December 1915 and featured a glazed cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
and armour sufficient to protect from rifle fire around the crew compartment and engines. The aircraft proved somewhat underpowered, so the glazing and armour were deleted on the second prototype that flew the following April and formed the basis for series production of the machine. A total of 46 of the O/100s were built.
The success of the type prompted the development of an uprated version with more powerful engines, a new bombsight and other refinements—designated the O/400. First flying in 1918, over 400 were supplied before the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
. Another 107 were licence-built in the USA by the Standard Aircraft Corporation
Standard Aircraft Corporation
Standard Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, founded in Plainfield, New Jersey, in 1916Standard Aircraft anticipated American entry into World War I, despite an expressed policy of isolationism. The same year it was founded, Standard Aircraft became a very early supplier of...
(out of a total order of 1,500 by the air corps). Forty-six out of an order for 50 were built by Clayton & Shuttleworth
Clayton & Shuttleworth
Clayton & Shuttleworth was an engineering company located at Stamp End Works, Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The company was established in 1842 when Nathaniel Clayton formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Joseph Shuttleworth .-History:...
in Lincoln.
Operational history
The first O/100s to be deployed to France were received by 7A SquadronNo. 214 Squadron RAF
-History:No 214 Squadron was formed from No. 14 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service , itself formerly No. 7A Squadron RNAS only taking on the new number in 9 December 1917. With the creation of the RAF from the Royal Flying Corps and the RNAS on 1 April 1918 it received the number 214. It was later...
of the RNAS's 5th Wing at Dunkirk in late 1916. Their first combat came on the night of March 16, 1917 when a single aircraft was sent to bomb a railway junction at Moulins-lès-Metz
Moulins-lès-Metz
Moulins-lès-Metz is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Moselle department...
. Initially, they were also used for daylight attacks, damaging a German destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
on 23 April 1917, but the loss of an aircraft to fighter attack two days later resulted in a switch to exclusive night attacks, usually by single aircraft against German occupied Channel ports, railway targets and airfields. O/100s were also used for anti-U boat patrol off the mouth of the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
in September 1917, while a single O/100 was flown to Moudros
Moudros
Moudros is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the entire eastern peninsula of the island, with a land area of 185.127 km²,...
on the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
island of Lemnos
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
, being used to carry out bombing raids on Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
.
The improved O/400 started to enter service in April 1918, gradually allowing the re-equipment of more squadrons, being used for both support for the ground forces on the Western Front, particlularly during the German Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
, and for strategic bombing
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
under the control of the Independent Air Force
Independent Air Force
The Independent Air Force , also known as the Independent Force or the Independent Bombing Force and later known as the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force, was a World War I strategic bombing force which was part of the British Royal Air Force and used to strike against German railways, aerodromes...
. The O/400s could carry a new 1,650 lb (750 kg) bomb which were aimed with the Drift Sight Mk 1A bombsight. In service, they were deployed in force, with up to 40 aircraft participating in a raid. A single O/400 also served with 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps in the Middle East.
After the war, O/400s remained in British service until replaced by the Vickers Vimy
Vickers Vimy
The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
towards the end of 1919. War-surplus aircraft were converted for civilian use in the UK and nine were used by Handley Page's pioneering airline, Handley Page Transport
Handley Page Transport
Handley Page Transport Ltd was an airline company founded in 1919 by Frederick Handley Page in the new era of civil flying after the First World War....
.
Six aircraft were assembled post-war for sale to Republican China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
under the designation O/7, principally for use as transports. These were delivered to China and re-assembled at Nanyuan
Beijing Nanyuan Airport
Beijing Nanyuan Airport is an airport in Beijing, People's Republic of China . Located in the southern portion of the city, in Fengtai District, and 3 kilometres south of the Fourth Ring Road and 13 kilometres from Tiananmen Square, Nanyuan Airport was first opened in 1910, making it the oldest...
near Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. The aircraft flew their first service, carrying both airmail
Airmail
Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...
and passengers, between Beijing and Tientsin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
on 7 May 1920. These services were disrupted by the outbreak of civil war, with the aircraft being taken over by various warlords
Warlord era
The Chinese Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia,...
.
During the First Zhili-Fengtian War
First Zhili-Fengtian War
The First Zhili–Fengtian War was a 1922 conflict in the Republic of China's Warlord Era between the Zhili and Fengtian cliques for control of Beijing. The war led to the defeat of the Fengtian clique and the fall of its leader, Zhang Zuolin, from the coalition Zhili-Fengtian government in Beijing...
, O/7 bombers carried three 200 lb (90 kg) bombs, and played a significant role in the victory of the Zhili clique since the opposing Fengtian clique
Fengtian clique
The Fengtian Clique was one of several mutually hostile cliques or factions that split from the Beiyang Clique in the Republic of China's warlord era. It was named for Fengtian Province and led by Zhang Zuolin...
had only liaison and reconnaissance aircraft. During the Second Zhili-Fengtian War
Second Zhili-Fengtian War
The Second Zhili–Fengtian War of 1924 was a conflict between the Japanese-backed Fengtian clique based in Manchuria, and the more liberal Zhili clique controlling Beijing and backed by Anglo-American business interests...
, O/7 bombers of the Fengtian clique carried a single 500 lb (230 kg) bomb. They played an important role in the battle of Stone Gate Camp (Shi Mei Zhai, 石門寨) near Shanhai Pass
Shanhai Pass
Shanhai Pass , or Shanhaiguan, along with Jiayu Pass and Juyong Pass, is one of the major passes of the Great Wall of China It is located in Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao, Hebei. In 1961, Shanhaiguan became a site of China First Class National Cultural Site.It is a popular tourist destination,...
on 19 October 1924. An O/7 bomber - piloted by a White Russian
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
- dropped its single 500 lb (230 kg) bomb on the densely packed Zhili force on the ground, causing large casualties. Consequently, the enemy's morale collapsed, resulting in the Zhili clique losing the battle.
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
; the story provides an insider's view of what it was like to fly the Type O in combat. The importance of the Type O to the company cannot be overestimated, establishing the firm as a maker of large multi-engine aircraft.
Prior to 1924, Handley Page used an alphabetical system for aircraft designations and the Type O followed the Type M and Type N. Type O aircraft are very frequently misnamed as "Handley Page 0/100" and "0/400" with a numeral "0" instead of the letter "O". The company designations "H.P.11" and "H.P.12" were applied retrospectively after the change to the use of type numbers in 1924.
Variants
O/100- Original bomber version for RNAS - Two 260 hp (190 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle II engines. Four prototypes and 42 production aircraft built.
O/400
- Improved bomber for RFC/RAF - Two 360 hp (270 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines. 554 built.
O/7
- Export transport version for China to carry 14 passengers. Lengthened engine nacelles for fuel tanks moved from fuselage; 12 conversions.
O/10
- Transport variant to carry 12 passengers; 10 conversions.
O/11
- Variant of the O/7 for mixed passenger/cargo use, two passengers up front and three in the very rear, with a freight in between; three conversions.
Civil
- The Government of ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
IndiaBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
- Indo Burmese Transport.
- Polish Government bought one aircraft in 1920.
- Handley Page TransportHandley Page TransportHandley Page Transport Ltd was an airline company founded in 1919 by Frederick Handley Page in the new era of civil flying after the First World War....
Military
- Australian Flying Corps
- No. 1 Squadron AFCNo. 1 Squadron RAAFNo. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
in PalestinePalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
.
- No. 1 Squadron AFC
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- No. 58 Squadron RAFNo. 58 Squadron RAFNo. 58 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.- History :No. 58 Squadron was first formed at Cramlington, Northumberland, on 8 June 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps....
(O/400) - No. 70 Squadron RAF (O/400)
- No. 97 Squadron RAFNo. 97 Squadron RAFNo. 97 Squadron, was a Royal Air Force squadron formed on December 1, 1917 at Waddington, Lincolnshire, first as a training unit, until moving to Netheravon in March 1918, and re-equipping with the Handley Page O/400 heavy bomber. The squadron served in France for the remainder of the war...
(O/400) - No. 100 Squadron RAFNo. 100 Squadron RAFNo. 100 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is based at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, UK, and operates the Hawker-Siddeley Hawk.-World War I:No. 100 was established on 23 February 1917 at Hingham in Norfolk as the Royal Flying Corps' first squadron formed specifically as a night bombing unit and...
(O/400) - No. 115 Squadron RAFNo. 115 Squadron RAFNo. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was then equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers. During World War II the squadron served as a bomber squadron and after the war it flew in a similar role till 1958, when it was engaged as a radio calibration unit...
(O/400) - No. 116 Squadron RAFNo. 116 Squadron RAFNo. 116 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, was formed on 1 December 1917 at Andover and was intended to become a night bomber unit but the end of the war resulted in the Squadron's disbandment on 20 November 1918....
(O/400) - No. 207 Squadron RAF (O/400)
- No. 214 Squadron RAFNo. 214 Squadron RAF-History:No 214 Squadron was formed from No. 14 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service , itself formerly No. 7A Squadron RNAS only taking on the new number in 9 December 1917. With the creation of the RAF from the Royal Flying Corps and the RNAS on 1 April 1918 it received the number 214. It was later...
(O/400) - No. 215 Squadron RAFNo. 215 Squadron RAFNo. 215 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron formed as a night bomber squadron in World War I and again in World War II, becoming a transport squadron near the end of the Second World War.-History:...
(O/100 and O/400) - No. 216 Squadron RAFNo. 216 Squadron RAFNo. 216 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Lockheed Tristar K1, KC1 and C2 from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.- History :216 Squadron was formed at RAF Manston by re-numbering No. 16 Squadron RNAS when the RAF was established in 1918, hence it is always spoken of as 'two-sixteen Squadron'...
(O/400)
- No. 58 Squadron RAF
- Royal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Naval Air ServiceThe Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
- No. 7 Squadron RNAS (O/100)
- No. 7A Squadron RNAS (O/100)
- No. 14 Squadron RNAS (O/100)
- No. 15 Squadron RNAS (O/100)
- No. 16 Squadron RNAS (O/100 and O/400)
Specifications (O/400)
Accidents and incidents
- On 14 December 1920 a Handley Page TransportHandley Page TransportHandley Page Transport Ltd was an airline company founded in 1919 by Frederick Handley Page in the new era of civil flying after the First World War....
O/400 operating a service from the companies airfield at Cricklewood crashed on take-off1920 Handley Page O/400 crashThe 1920 Handley Page O/400 crash occurred on 14 December 1920 when a Handley Page Transport Handley Page O/400 on a scheduled passenger flight from London to Paris with two crew and six passengers at Golders Green in North London after take-off from Cricklewood Aerodrome...
when it hit a tree killing the two crew and two of the six passengers.