After minor modifications, the aircraft was flown to RNAS Eastchurch, where full-speed trials were made. A third flight on 31 December revealed a number of control problems, the ailerons and elevators were effective but heavy, partly due to excessive friction in the control circuit and the rudders were seriously overbalanced. This was blamed on the drag caused by large honeycomb radiators, which were changed to tube radiators mounted on either side of the engine nacelles. A second flight was made the following day, when it was found that the aircraft would not fly faster than about 55 mph (89 km/h). The first flight of the prototype, was made at Hendon on 17 December, when a short straight flight was made, the aircraft taking off without trouble at 50 mph (80 km/h). The four prototypes and first production batch of six aircraft were built at Cricklewood, with the first aircraft delivered by road to Hendon on 9 December 1915. The structure of the fuselage and flying surfaces was primarily spruce, with the spars routed into I-beams to reduce weight. To clear the wing rigging wires when the wings were folded, the rear portions of the fairings were hinged to fold inward. The nacelles had a long tapered fairing to reduce drag. The engines drove four-bladed propellers, rotating in opposite directions to cancel the torque, and were enclosed in armoured nacelles mounted between the wings on tubular steel struts. Balanced ailerons were fitted to the upper wing only and extended beyond the wing trailing edge and wing tips. The O/100 was an unequal-span three-bay biplane, with the overhanging part of the upper wing braced by kingposts, a rectangular section fuselage and a biplane tail with twin balanced rudders, between the horizontal surfaces. One of the engines with a four-bladed propeller. The design was approved on 4 February 1915, with 250 hp (190 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle engines and on 9 February the contract was amended to include eight additional aircraft. The designation O/100 came from Handley Page's sequence of using letters for each of their designs, with 100 for the proposed wingspan of the aircraft. The crew of two were to be enclosed in a glazed cockpit and the only defensive armament planned was a rifle for the observer/engineer. It was to carry six 100 lb (45 kg) bombs and have armour to protect crew and engines. It called for a large biplane powered by two 150 hp (110 kW) Sunbeam engines, which was required to fit in a 75 ft × 75 ft (23 m × 23 m) hangar and would therefore have folding wings. Handley Page suggested a land-based aircraft of similar size, and a specification drawn up around his suggestions was formally issued on 28 December 1914 for four prototypes. The AD Seaplane Type 1000 prototype had already been commissioned from J. Coastal patrol adaptations of the abortive Handley Page L/200, M/200 and MS/200 designs were initially discussed but Sueter's technical advisor 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. The phrase was originated by Commander Charles Rumney Samson, who had recently returned from the front. Sueter requested "a bloody paralyser of an aircraft" for long-range bombing. Design HP O/400 with wings foldedĭesign work began shortly after the start of the First World War following meetings between Captain Murray Sueter, the director of the Air Department of the Royal Navy, and Frederick Handley Page. The Type O made such an impression that for many years after the war any large aircraft in Britain was referred to as a "Handley Page", even getting a dictionary entry. Some aircraft were temporarily diverted to anti-submarine reconnaissance and bombing in the Tees estuary in 1917 and two aircraft operated in the eastern Mediterranean. The aircraft were used in France for tactical night attacks on targets in German-occupied France and Belgium and for strategic bombing of industrial and transport targets in the Rhineland. There were two main variants, the Handley Page O/100 (H.P.11) and the Handley Page O/400 (H.P.12). When built, the Type O was the largest aircraft that had been built in the UK and one of the largest in the world. The Handley Page Type O was a biplane bomber used by Britain during the First World War.
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