| DH.10 Amiens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Heavy bomber |
| Manufacturer | Airco |
| Designer | |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 258 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | November 1918 |
| First flight | 4 March 1918 |
| Retired | 1923 |
| Developed into | de Havilland DH.11 Oxford |
The Airco DH.10 Amiens was a twin-engined heavy bomber designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airco. It performed the first nighttime air mail service in the world on 14-15 May 1919.
The DH.10 was developed in the final years of the First World War in response to a requirement to equip the newly-formed Royal Air Force (RAF) with an expanded offensive bombing capability. It was based upon the earlier Airco DH.3 bomber, which had not been pursued largely due to disinterest in heavy bombers at that time. The first prototype performed its maiden flight on 4 March 1918; dissatisfaction with its performance led to the aircraft being redesigned with more powerful engines and a tractor configuration, which was received more favourably. Over 1,200 DH.10s were on order at one stage.
Only a handful of DH.10s had been delivered to the RAF, and a single offensive mission conducted, before the Armistice of 11 November 1918 came into effect, ending the conflict. The diminishing need for bombers meant orders for the type were reduced and production was scaled back substantially. Nevertheless, over 250 DH.10s were constructed and were operated during the interwar period, seeing use in the Third Anglo-Afghan war as well as for air mail services in various regions. The type was replaced by more capable bombers during the early 1920s.