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Handley-Page O/400
role : heavy bomber
first flight : operational : April 1917
country : United-Kingdom
design :
production : 550 aircraft
general information :
Followed soon after the O/100. Fuel tanks moved from the engine nacelles to the fuselage and more powerful Eagle Engines. Built in large quantities. At the end of the war the RAF had 259 O/400’s in frontline service.
It could carry a single 748 kg bomb.
Gap : 3.35m chord : 3.05m airscrew diam : 3.35m tank capacity : 300 gallon = 1364 litre, endurance : 8 hrs
Landing speed : 80.5 km/u climb to 3048m : 25 minutes
A great upgrade to the basic concept of bomb sights was introduced by Harry Wimperis, better known for his later role in the development of radar in England. In 1916 he introduced the Drift Sight, which added a simple system for directly measuring the wind speed. The bomb aimer would first dial in the altitude and airspeed of the aircraft. Doing so rotated a metal bar on the right side of the bombsight so it pointed out from the fuselage. Prior to the bomb run, the bomber would fly at right angles to the bomb line, and the bomb aimer would look past the rod to watch the motion of objects on the ground. He would then adjust the wind speed setting until the motion was directly along the rod. This action measured the wind speed, and moved the sights to the proper angle to account for it, eliminating the need for separate calculations. A later modification was added to calculate the difference between true and indicated airspeed, which grows with altitude. This version was the Drift Sight Mk. 1A, introduced on the Handley Page O/400 heavy bomber. Variations on the design were common, like the US Estoppey bombsight.
Patrol tank and engines were protected with armour plates
users : RFC
crew : 4
armament : 4 movable 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Lewis machine-guns
engine : 2 Rolls Royce Eagle VIII liquid-cooled 12-cylinder V-engine 360 [hp](264.8 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 30.48 [m], length : 19.15 [m], height : 6.71[m]
wing area : 153.1 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 6360 [kg]
empty weight operational : 3856 [kg] bombload : 907 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 157 [km/hr] at sea-level
climbing speed : 37 [m/min]
service ceiling : 2600 [m]
endurance : 7.23 [hours]
estimated action radius : 511 [km]
description :
3-bay biplane with fixed underwing 4 -wheel landing gear and tail strut
upper wingtips supported by slanted flying wires
two spar upper and lower wing
engines and landing gear attached to the wings, fuel and bombload in or attached to fuselage
wings can be folded for easy storage
airscrew :
two fixed pitch 4 -bladed tractor airscrews with max. efficiency :0.60 [ ]
diameter airscrew 3.35 [m]
angle of attack prop : 16.22 [ ]
reduction : 0.60 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1140 [r.p.m.]
Painting Michael Turner
pitch at Max speed 2.30 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 205 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 2.79 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 2.98 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 10.92 []
gap : 3.35 [m]
gap/chord : 1.20 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 3917 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 7.9 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 121.8 [kg/hr] (166.2 [litre/hr]) at 72 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 1.16 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 1364 [litre] (1000 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 758.0 [kg] = 1.43 [kg/KW]
weight reduction gear : 58.3 [kg]
weight 90 litre oil tank : 7.7 [kg]
oil tank filled with 4.0 litre oil : 3.6 [kg]
oil in engine 29 litre oil : 26.5 [kg]
fuel in engine 4 litre fuel : 2.6 [kg]
weight 71 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 10.6 [kg]
weight radiator : 84.7 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 36.6 [kg]
weight self-starter : 6.5 [kg]
weight cowling 10.6 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 100.6 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 1157 [kg](18.2 [%])
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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 11.07 [cm]): 601 [kg]
bracing : 81.1 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 69.3 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 22.2 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 11.5 [kg]
weight seats : 12.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 9.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 63.5 [kg]
weight Drift Sight Mk. 1A bomb sight : 2.5 [kg]
weight two 647 [litre] main fuel tanks empty : 103.5 [kg]
weight interior + equipment + fuel lines: 81 [kg]
weight 2 fire extinguishers : 14 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 1001 [kg](15.7 [%])
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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 98 [kg]
total weight ribs (186 ribs) : 378 [kg]
weight engine mounts : 26 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 644.4 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 487.8 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 246 [kg]
weight wings : 722 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 4.71 [kg]
weight wing folding system : 54 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 308.4 [kg]
weight cables (169 [m]) : 75.3 [kg] (= 445 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 8.5 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (10.8 [m2]) : 52.4 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (17.2 [m2]): 82.3 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 1321 [kg] (20.8 [%])
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weight machine-gun(s) : 52.0 [kg]
weight Scarff ring mounting mg :27.7 [kg]
weight armament : 80 [kg]
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wheel pressure : 1590.0 [kg]
weight 4 wheels (870 [mm] by 134 [mm]) : 111.9 [kg]
weight tailskid : 7.2 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 141.6 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 260.7 [kg] (4.1 [%]
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calculated empty weight : 3819 [kg](60.1 [%])
weight oil for 8.7 hours flying : 68.9 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 114.4 [kg]
weight 16 drums empty : 6.8 [kg]
weight ammunition (1552 rounds) : 49.4 [kg]
weight Very pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
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calculated operational weight empty : 4057 [kg] (63.8 [%])
published operational weight empty : 3856 [kg] (60.6 [%])
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weight crew : 324 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 244 [kg]
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operational weight : 4624 [kg](72.7 [%])
bomb load : 907 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 5531 [kg]
fuel reserve : 756 [kg] enough for 6.21 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 72 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 6360 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 6360 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 12.01 [kg/kW]
total power : 529.6 [kW] at 1900 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 2.0 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 2.5 [g] ultimate load : 3.8 [g] load factor : 1.0 [g]
design flight time : 5.06 [hours]
design cycles : 119 sorties, design hours : 600 [hours]
wing loading (MTOW) : 407 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 225 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.31 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 10.77 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 1.50 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.10 [ ]
The O/400 operated mainly during the night, so a daylight attack as depicted above is not likely to have happened.
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.26 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0026 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0405 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0380 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 75 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 90 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) = minimum speed*1.1 at cruise height : 88 [km/hr] at 1300 [m] (power:32 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 100 [km/hr] at 1300 [m] (power:36 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 92.7 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 141 [km/hr] op 1300 [m] (power:68 [%])
design speed prop : 149 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 157 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:98 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 236 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 208 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 13.02 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4650 [m] with flying weight :4144 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 4250 [m] with flying weight :4624 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 2950 [m] with flying weight :6238 [kg]
published ceiling (2600 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 7.23 [min]
max. dive speed : 419.7 [km/hr] at 1950 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 2.02 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 65 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 12.2 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 8.21 [hours] with 4 crew and 979 [kg] bombload and 100.0 [%] fuel
A O/400 moved by a Clayton tractor
published endurance : 7.23 [hours] with 4 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 1098 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 1136 [km] with 4 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 3106 [litre] fuel : 2640 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 1548 [kg]
production : 218.75 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.59 [kg]
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Literature :
Praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 185
Bombers 1914-19 page 74
Warplanes page 79,132,134
Wikipedia
Jane’s fighting aircraft WOI page 31f,73dtf
Armament of British aircraft 1909-1939 page 202,203
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program.
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(c) B van der Zalm 15 September 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4