Roden 430 Airco (de Havilland) DH4w/ Puma 1:48

From that moment the production of the D.H.4 was expanded from the base of the main manufacturer, the Airco firm (AMC), on to the plants of several subcontractors, such as Palladium Autocars, Vulcan, Westland, Glendower and others. Taking into account the permanent problem of the availability of the main Rolls Royce Eagle engine, designers had to find a replacement for it.

As a result, many machines of this type were built with installations of the RAF3a, Fiat-A12 and Siddeley Puma engines. The characteristic feature of every version was a different shape of the fuselage's nose, following the differences in the overall sizes of the engines and their exhaust systems. Airplanes fitted with the Puma engine had a somewhat prolonged nose with less of a "snub-nosed" look in comparison with the other versions, when other D.H.4s at the time were almost "straight-nosed".

The D.H.4's active service career began in January 1917, and soon this type gained great renown among the pilots of the R.N.A.S. and the R.F.C.. It was capable of climbing quickly to a considerable altitude, and it could maneuver in combat with enemy airplanes. Its main task was to conduct daytime bombing missions over the territory of the enemy; however, occasionally the D.H.4 was used as a transport for secret service agents, and as a fighter and interceptor.

During 1917 D.H.4s of various types, including those with Puma engines, were widely used in the skies of the Western Front, and even the arrival of the more modern D.H.9 did not end its career, because this successor appeared to be unsuccessful and was soon withdrawn from operations. And only the appearance of D.H.9A in 1918 pushed these machines into the background. They were gradually taken off from the front line, and passed on to training and patrol units. Many machines were sent to the British colonies, mainly to the Near East, to India and South Africa. There they were used until the mid 1920's, when they were exchanged for other types, mainly the Bristol F.2B Fighter