1:48 Dayton Wright 'Liberty'
Roden #414

The Liberty D.H.4 was a licensed version of the famous British
two-seat general purpose de Havilland D.H.4, which was built in
the U.S. after its entry into WWI. An American engine, the
Liberty, was fitted in the aircraft, and was much more efficient
and reliable than most British power installations. The Liberty
D.H.4 was widely used over the Western Front as a scout and
bomber, but numerous problems with the fuel system earned the
planes notoriety as "flaming coffins". Nevertheless, the Liberty
D.H.4 continued in service until the very end of the war, and
afterwards these machines were returned to the U.S., where they
were used by the Army for several post-war years. Improvements of
the fuel system and elimination of other defects allowed the
type to carry on until the mid 1930's in commercial use. More
than 5,000 Liberty D.H.4's were built in all.