Handley Page O/100

Handley Page · United Kingdom · first flew 1915 · bomber

The Handley Page Type O/100 was Britain's first purpose-designed heavy bomber, a large twin-engine biplane that introduced strategic night bombing to the Royal Naval Air Service in World War I.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	19.16 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Large WWI twin-engine biplane heavy bomber with biplane tail
Folding outer wing panels for hangar stowage
Two pusher-configured Rolls-Royce Eagle engines between the wings

Massive four-bay biplane with two tractor engines mounted between the wings, a nose gunner's position, folding outer wing panels, and a characteristic biplane tail with multiple fins and rudders.

Specifications

The Handley Page O/100 has a length of 19.16 m (63 ft).
It has a wingspan of 30.48 m (100 ft).
Its maximum speed is 137 km/h (85 mph).
Typical crew: 4.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed in response to a 1914 Admiralty request for a 'bloody paralyser of an aircraft,' the O/100 first flew in December 1915. It entered RNAS service in late 1916 and was used for night bombing raids on German naval bases, airfields, and industrial targets. A total of 46 were built before production switched to the improved O/400. It established the formula for subsequent Handley Page bombers.

Variants

The O/100 was followed by the O/400 with more powerful Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines and numerous improvements; the two types are closely related in appearance.

Where you'll see it

Served with the Royal Naval Air Service on the Western Front and in the Middle East from 1916 to the end of World War I.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.