Roden 1/48 De Havilland D.H.4 | 422

  In 1916 Geoffrey de Havilland, English pilot, and chief designer of the Aircraft Manufacturing Company Ltd (Airco), proposed to the military authorities a project for a multipurpose two-seat airplane with a 160 hp Beardmore water cooled engine and the classic crew arrangement of pilot in front and gunner-observer behind. Already by August of that year the new type, the DH4, made its first flight under the control of its designer. Its performance was more than satisfactory and De Havilland's firm received a preliminary order as soon as autumn 1916 for 740 machines. However, the Beardmore engine appeared to be unimpressive to say the least, and consequently the airframe was quickly adapted to take the Rolls Royce Eagle engine. Production machines differed from the prototype in the fuselage nose, but the rest of the construction appeared to be very successful and no substantial changes were required elsewhere. The first production aircraft were delivered to 55 Squadron of the Royal Fly