This is a paintable 1:144 scale model of an Airco D.H.4. Since many painters choose their own mounting system, no peg is included on the plane. Pegs can be purchased separately in the Accessories section of this catalog. A D.H.4 with the American Liberty engine is also available.

The Airco D.H.4 was the first British plane designed specifically as a day-bomber. While it was originally designed for the 160hp Beardmore or 230hp BHP engine, but it is perhaps fortunate that the BHP production was delayed and the 250hp Rolls-Royce Eagle was available instead. The Eagle was an excellent engine and it only got better with successive marks, culminating with the 375hp Eagle VIII. No.55 Squadron received the first full batch of D.H.4s and arrived in France in March 1917.

Shortages of Rolls-Royce engines forced experiments with many other types, including the 200hp B.H.P. (a development from the early Beardmore), the 200hp Siddeley Puma, the 200hp Galloway Adriatic, Fiat, and the 200hp R.A.F.3a. Batches of D.H.4s were built with these various engines, but pilots greatly preferred the Rolls-Royce.

Westland-built D.H.4s for the RNAS, and they fitted twin Vickers guns for the pilot instead of the normal single fixed gun. When introduced the D.H.4 outperformed all other two-seaters of its class and could outrun many enemy fighters.

The D.H.4's greatest weak spot was the long distance between the pilot and observer, making cooperation difficult, a fault that was corrected in the Airco D.H.9. DH4s served from March 1917 through to the Armistice, performing bombing, observation, photography, anti-Zeppelin, and anti-submarine duties.

Overall, the D.H.4 was one of the great designs of World War One. It served on the Western Front, Italy, Aegean, Macedonia, Palestine, Mesopotamia, and during the Russian Revolution. Belgium equipped six escadrilles with D.H.4s.

For more data and gaming info on this plane, see https://linen.miraheze.org/wiki/Airco_D.H.4.