Rise of Flight Handley Page 0-400

[Dagger 21]

 

 

Handley Page 0-400

 

In the days of Red Baron 3-D squadron "wars", we would fly fighters as bombers. Why? Simply, there were no bombers that were flyable in game. This served the community well and still does, but it still wasn't the same.

 

Then 777 Studios announced they were going to have a true bomber in game, a real bomber. The first to be released was the Handley-Page 0/400. This was something most WW1 sims seemed to have forgotten about. A brief history of the airplane "The improved O/400 started to enter service in April 1918, gradually allowing the re-equipment of more squadrons, being used for both support for the ground forces on the Western Front, particularly during the German Spring Offensive, and for strategic bombing under the control of the Independent Air Force. In service, the O/400s could carry a new 1,650 lb (750 kg) bomb and were deployed in force, with up to 40 aircraft participating in a raid."

The Handley Page is a BIG airplane, this is a size comparison with a Dolphin on the runway. The modeling is, as usual with 777 Studios, nothing short of breathtaking. The cockpit sits mid line of the airplane, with the nose gunner right in front of the pilot. It is actually pretty cool watching him look around and man his guns when an enemy fighter approaches. If you look back you can see the rear gunner looking also. The only gunner you can't watch is the belly gunner, for obvious reasons, but he is there, and the AI gunner is very good. One of the coolest features of this airplane is your squadron mates can fly as your gunners, even if they don't have the airplane. This will make for some great times in the air. It also will make "war" nights alot more fun.

 

Remember this is a bomber, and it climbs and turns like one. Take offs are longer than in a fighter, but once airborne just climb out, watch your airspeed, make a few wide circles of your home aerodrome, and then point the nose to the target and just climb as you are on the way. Don't try to climb to fast or you'll find yourself in a spin, a slow and easy hand for bombers. I am no pilot, and have never talked to anyone who flew one of these, but the fight model seems real enough for me. It takes some getting used to, but this is one fun airplane to fly. When fully loaded it is like flying a cross between a bus and a 1957 Chevy, My first car. It took forever to turn, but was so much fun. When empty it is easier to keep your speed up, and it turns some better. Landing takes more room, so keep that in mind when on approach, I start my approach so I can make a few wide sweeping turns to bleed speed, and have plenty of room to correct my approach.

 

Bombing in the Handley Page takes a little getting used to, but is not to hard with some practice. That seems to be the theme with Rise of Flight the more time you spend with it, the better you get. The bombsight is straight forward, and once you switch from pilot to bombardier seat, remember to switch on the "autopilot" this makes for a smoother and level bomb run. Lining up the sights is controlled by you as you seem to always need a "small" amount of corrections. Once you touch the button to release, you can tell when you are empty by the flag that pops up . I like the fact that you can see your bomb string as it drops, nice touch, and watch the impact.

On this screenshot notice the port lower wing as it took a few hits from AAA you can see the fabric is gone and the frame is visible

 

The final verdict on the Handley-Page 0/400 is 9.5, for the graphics, the fact 3 of your squadron mates can fly with you(or just friends), and the fact it is a true bomber. I'm not a rivet counter, nor do I have a clue how the real one flew, so the flight model seems good to me. The Damage model is good, and it's just plain fun to fly. If you are a WW1 fan, and like bombers also, this is a great addition to your hanger in Rise of Flight. For squadrons making the move from Red Baron 3-D to Rise of Flight this is a great addition for "war nights".

Edited February 25, 2011 by Dagger

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Nice.

 

Pretty much for the same reasons I guess, the Tupelov TB-3 was one of the most fun planes to play in the IL-2. Very nice to see that in a game.