List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
Many aircraft types have served in the British Royal Air Force since its formation in April 1918 from the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service . This is a list of RAF aircraft , including all currently active and retired types listed in alphabetic order by their RAF type name. For just those aircraft currently in service, see List of active United Kingdom military aircraft . Aircraft operated with the Fleet Air Arm from 1924 until 1939 were operated by the Royal Air Force on behalf of the Navy and are included; those operated by the Royal Navy after it re-acquired control of the aircraft used to support its operations in 1939 are not, but all aircraft operated in conjunction with the Navy are listed at List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm . Army Air Corps aircraft are not included but can be found at List of aircraft of the Army Air Corps .
For aircraft operated before the merger of the RFC and RNAS in 1918:
Regular service with the RAF
Aircraft impressed into RAF service
Civil aircraft
Military aircraft
Captured or interned
Captured or interned examples of the following aircraft were at one time flown by either the RAF or more normally by the Royal Aircraft Establishment for evaluation.
Argentine aircraft
German aircraft
Arado Ar 96 , Ar 196 , Ar 232 , Ar 234 Blohm & Voss BV 138 , BV 155 , BV 222 Brunswick LF-1 Zaunkonig
Bücker Bü 131 , Bü 180 , Bü 181 Dornier Do 17 , Do 24 , Do 217 , Do 335 DFS 228 Fieseler Fi 103 , Fi 156 , Fl 282 Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 , Fa 330 Focke-Wulf Fw 58 , Fw 189 , Fw 190 , Ta 152 , Fw 200 Fokker D.VII Gotha Go 145 , Go 150 Halberstadt D.III Heinkel He 59 , He 111 , He 115 , He 162 , He 177 , He 219 Henschel Hs 129 , Hs 130 Horten Ho IV , Ho 229 Junkers Ju 52/3m , Ju 87 , Ju 88 , Ju 188 , Ju 290 , Ju 352 , Ju 388 , W 34 Klemm Kl 35 Messerschmitt Bf 108 , Bf 109 , Bf 110 , Me 163 , Me 262 , Me 323 , Me 410 Siebel Fh 104 , Si 204
Italian aircraft
Caproni Ca.100 , Ca.101 , Ca.148 , Ca 309 , Ca.311 Caproni-Campini CC.2 Cant Z.501 , Z.506 Fiat CR.42 , G.12 , G.50 , G.55 Macchi MC.200 , MC.202 Saiman 200 , 202 Savoia-Marchetti SM.73 , SM.79 , SM.81 , SM.82 , SM.95
Japanese aircraft
Kawasaki Ki-48 , Ki-61 , Ki-100 Kawanishi H6K Kyushu K9W Mitsubishi A6M , G4M , J2M , Ki-21 , Ki-46 , Ki-67 Nakajima A6M2-N , L2D , Ki-43 , Ki-44 Yokosuka MXY8 Tachikawa Ki-36 , Ki-54 , Ki-55
Schneider Trophy seaplanes
Aircraft used by the Royal Air Force in support of its efforts in the Schneider Trophy races, and includes aircraft used solely as trainers.
Training gliders
The following Gliders are or were flown by RAF training squadrons:
Airships and balloons
UAVs and drones
See also
Notes
^ UK variant completely redesigned from Canadian original and shared few interchangeable parts.
^ Racer evaluated as K5084
^ One aircraft for training and support with Memorial Flight
^ AL2 and T3 transferred from the Army on 2 April 2019.[ 59] [ 60]
^ The DH-9A wasn't a variant of the DH-9, but was instead entirely redesigned by Westland.
^ Dominie was the RAF's name for the Dragon Rapide - impressed examples retained original name
^ Evaluation only, later impressed. RAF name was to have been Hertfordshire
^ Used by Queen's flight
^ Single example donated to RAF
^ Sold in 2017.[ 123]
^ AL1 transferred from the Army on 2 April 2019.[ 59] [ 60]
^ Used by Queen's flight
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 237–238, 243–245, 587
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 130–131
^ "Royal Air Force" .^ "UK's Royal Air Force ends BAe 146 operations" .^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 604
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 44–47
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 98–99
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 34–35
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 48–49
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 574
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 370–372
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 53–58
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 576
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 368–369
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 586
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 25–27
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 326–327
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 39–43, 159–160
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 39–43, 159–160
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 121–122
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 401–402
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 96–97
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 252–255
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 140–145
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 138–139
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 465–466
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 561–562
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 578
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 106–107
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 573
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 132–135, 146–147
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 136–137
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 224–226
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 104–105
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 152–154
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 125–126
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 157–158
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 377–378
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 148–149
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 150–151
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 123–124
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 127–129
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 443–444
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 596
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 605
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 229–236
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 161–162
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 611–612
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 210–211
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 582
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 579
^ a b c Thetford, 1978, p. 592
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 43–434
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 220–221
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 587
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 606
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 227–228
^ a b "Avionic Upgrades for the RAF's Britten-Norman Islanders" . Britten-Norman (Press release). 23 July 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2020 .^ a b Jennings, Gareth (2 April 2019). "UK transfers Defender and Islander special mission aircraft from AAC to RAF" . Jane's Defence Weekly . Retrieved 23 February 2020 . ^ a b "Farewell Islander/Defender" . Scramble . Dutch Aviation Society. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021 .^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 118–120
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 324–325
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 585
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 580
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 177–178
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 179–180
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 583
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 185–186
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 372–373
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 584
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 607
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 554–555
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 572
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 577
^ a b c Thetford, 1978, p. 597
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 239–240
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 588
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 589
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 256–257
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 108–111
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 241–242
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 322–323, 335–336
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 261–262
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 263–264
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 568–569
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 181–182
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 265–266
^ "First of four Boeing C-17s is handed over to the UK RAF" . Flight International ^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 366–367
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 248–249
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 258–260
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 623
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 296–303
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 622
^ a b Thetford, 1978, pp.292-295
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 330–331
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 374–376
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 289–291
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 320–321, 328–329
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 415–416
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 304–306
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 222–223
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 381–382
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 337–338
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 250–251
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 347–348
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 397–398
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 287–288
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 285–286
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 332–334
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 204–205
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 620
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 316–317
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 603
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 387–392
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 581
^ Wingspan, January 1996, p. 52
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 358–365
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 339–346
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 283–284
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 100–101
^ "Islander BN2T CC Mk2" . Royal Air Force . Archived from the original on 4 April 2012.^ Warnes, Alan (12 August 2017). "RAF Islanders Replaced by Civilian-Contracted Aircraft" . Warnesy's World of Military Aviation . Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. ^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 447–448
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 277–280
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 91–95
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 445–446
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 594
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 61–66
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 575
^ a b Air-Britain: Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100 - VZ999, 1985
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 437–438
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 163–170
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 82–88
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 595
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 69–70
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 435–436
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 246–247
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 549–551
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 407–408
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 59–60
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 307–308
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 403–404
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 411–412
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 399–400
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 409–410
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 598
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 267–276
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 36–38
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 419–420
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 171–172
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 187–203
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 417–418, 421–422
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 395–396
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 413–414
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 379–380, 613–614
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 599
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 116–117
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 18–19
^ Hamlin 2001, p. 21
^ Hamlin 2001, p. 61
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 385–386
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 102–103
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 601
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 405–406
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 439–440
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 429–430
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 427–428
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 383–384
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 566–567
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 449–450
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 423–424
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 475–476
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 570
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 497–498
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p.609
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 71–76
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 114–115
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 451–452
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 20–24
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 602
^ a b Thetford, 1978, pp.
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 469–470
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 481–496
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 608
^ Squirrel HT1 ^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 459–464
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 479–480
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 453–458
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 499–503
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 155–156
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 353–357
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 431–432
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 183–184
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 173–176
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 318–319
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 425–426
^ "Race through the skies in an RAF Tornado" . BBC Reel . Retrieved 31 January 2019 .^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 50–52
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 441–442
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 349–352
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 519–520
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 535–537
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 540–541
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 206–209, 212–215
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 538–539
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 89–90
^ flightglobal.com - RAF VC10s to make last operational flight ^ Thetford, 1978, p. 600
^ Thetford, 1978, pp.542-543
^ Air Britain: RAF Aircraft KA100 - KZ999, Tonbridge 1990
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 216–219
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 393–394
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 506–507
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 309–313
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 513–514
^ Thetford, 1978, pp.608
^ Air-Britain: Viking - Valetta - Varsity, 1975
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 515–516
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 504–505
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 508–512
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 77–81
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 546–548
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p.610
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 477–478
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 544–545
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 531–534
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 112–113
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 521–522
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 523–530
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 563–565
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 552–553
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 556–560
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 28–33
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 314–315
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 67–68
^ "RAF - Civil Aircraft in WWII Service" . Archived from the original on 5 August 2011.^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Thetford, 1978, p. 616
^ Moss 1962, p. 20
^ Moss 1962, p. 28
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Thetford, 1978, p. 617
^ Francillon, René: McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920: Volume I, p. 172
^ Air Britain: RAF Aircraft DA100 - DZ999, 2008
^ Air Britain: RAF Aircraft HA100 - HZ999, 1998
^ Moss 1964, p. 110
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Thetford, 1978, p. 618
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 590
^ a b Thetford, 1978, p. 591
^ Thetford, 1978, pp. 471–472
^ a b Thetford, 1978, pp. 473–474
^ Thetford, 1978, p. 411
References
Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988 . Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9 .
Hamlin, John F. The Oxford, Consul & Envoy File . Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. , 2001. ISBN 0 85130 2890
Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 . Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6 .
Moss, Peter W, Impressments Log Volume 1 United Kingdom. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. , 1962.
Moss, Peter W, Impressments Log Volume 3 United Kingdom. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. , 1964.
Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft . London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 2nd edition 1976. ISBN 0-354-01027-1 .
Owen Thetford: Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918 7th edition. Putnam & Co., London 1978, ISBN 0-370-30186-2 .
Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft . London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5 .
Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft . London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (2nd edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X .
Unknown (January 1996). "DH 53 Humming Bird". Wingspan & Planes . Wingspan: 52.
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