The Handley Page Halifax has, since 1945 always lived in the shadow of the Avro Lancaster. It's total bomb load was always less than the Avro Lancaster, nor could it carry the range of stores, and in spite of continual development its performance never really reached that of the Lancaster, (poor altitude performance relative to the Lancaster was the problem). Having said that, it was the first successful four engined heavy bomber of world war 2, and it seems to me that the Halifax was not a bad aeroplane at all, just not as good as a Lancaster and the Lancaster was a very special aeroplane indeed. All in all 6,178 Halifax's were produced and with the Avro Lancaster took the war to Germany in the heaviest and most sustained bombing offensive in history.