List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force explained

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

Italian aircraft

Japanese aircraft

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

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Thetford, 1978, pp. 237–238, 243–245, 587
  2. Thetford, 1978, pp. 130–131
  3. Web site: Royal Air Force .
  4. Web site: UK's Royal Air Force ends BAe 146 operations .
  5. Thetford, 1978, p. 604
  6. Thetford, 1978, pp. 44–47
  7. Thetford, 1978, pp. 98–99
  8. Thetford, 1978, pp. 34–35
  9. Thetford, 1978, pp. 48–49
  10. Thetford, 1978, p. 574
  11. Thetford, 1978, pp. 370–372
  12. Thetford, 1978, pp. 53–58
  13. Thetford, 1978, p. 576
  14. Thetford, 1978, pp. 368–369
  15. Thetford, 1978, p. 586
  16. Thetford, 1978, pp. 25–27
  17. Thetford, 1978, pp. 326–327
  18. Thetford, 1978, pp. 39–43, 159–160
  19. Thetford, 1978, pp. 39–43, 159–160
  20. Thetford, 1978, pp. 121–122
  21. Thetford, 1978, pp. 401–402
  22. Thetford, 1978, pp. 96–97
  23. Thetford, 1978, pp. 252–255
  24. Thetford, 1978, pp. 140–145
  25. Thetford, 1978, pp. 138–139
  26. Thetford, 1978, pp. 465–466
  27. Thetford, 1978, pp. 561–562
  28. Thetford, 1978, p. 578
  29. Thetford, 1978, pp. 106–107
  30. Thetford, 1978, p. 573
  31. Thetford, 1978, pp. 132–135, 146–147
  32. Thetford, 1978, pp. 136–137
  33. Thetford, 1978, pp. 224–226
  34. Thetford, 1978, pp. 104–105
  35. Thetford, 1978, pp. 152–154
  36. Thetford, 1978, pp. 125–126
  37. Thetford, 1978, pp. 157–158
  38. Thetford, 1978, pp. 377–378
  39. Thetford, 1978, pp. 148–149
  40. Thetford, 1978, pp. 150–151
  41. Thetford, 1978, pp. 123–124
  42. Thetford, 1978, pp. 127–129
  43. Thetford, 1978, pp. 443–444
  44. Thetford, 1978, p. 596
  45. Thetford, 1978, p. 605
  46. Thetford, 1978, pp. 229–236
  47. Thetford, 1978, pp. 161–162
  48. Thetford, 1978, pp. 611–612
  49. Thetford, 1978, pp. 210–211
  50. Thetford, 1978, p. 582
  51. Thetford, 1978, p. 579
  52. Thetford, 1978, p. 592
  53. Thetford, 1978, pp. 43–434
  54. Thetford, 1978, pp. 220–221
  55. Thetford, 1978, p. 587
  56. Thetford, 1978, p. 606
  57. Thetford, 1978, pp. 227–228
  58. Avionic Upgrades for the RAF's Britten-Norman Islanders . Britten-Norman . 22 February 2020 . 23 July 2019.
  59. Thetford, 1978, pp. 118–120
  60. Thetford, 1978, pp. 324–325
  61. Thetford, 1978, p. 585
  62. Thetford, 1978, p. 580
  63. Thetford, 1978, pp. 177–178
  64. Thetford, 1978, pp. 179–180
  65. Thetford, 1978, p. 583
  66. Thetford, 1978, pp. 185–186
  67. Thetford, 1978, pp. 372–373
  68. Thetford, 1978, p. 584
  69. Thetford, 1978, p. 607
  70. Thetford, 1978, pp. 554–555
  71. Thetford, 1978, p. 572
  72. Thetford, 1978, p. 577
  73. Thetford, 1978, p. 597
  74. Thetford, 1978, pp. 239–240
  75. Thetford, 1978, p. 588
  76. Thetford, 1978, p. 589
  77. Thetford, 1978, pp. 256–257
  78. Thetford, 1978, pp. 108–111
  79. Thetford, 1978, pp. 241–242
  80. Thetford, 1978, pp. 322–323, 335–336
  81. Thetford, 1978, pp. 261–262
  82. Thetford, 1978, pp. 263–264
  83. Thetford, 1978, pp. 568–569
  84. Thetford, 1978, pp. 181–182
  85. Thetford, 1978, pp. 265–266
  86. Flight International. 22–28 May 2001. First of four Boeing C-17s is handed over to the UK RAF. 6.
  87. Thetford, 1978, pp. 366–367
  88. Thetford, 1978, pp. 248–249
  89. Thetford, 1978, pp. 258–260
  90. Thetford, 1978, p. 623
  91. Thetford, 1978, pp. 296–303
  92. Thetford, 1978, p. 622
  93. Thetford, 1978, pp.292-295
  94. Thetford, 1978, pp. 330–331
  95. Thetford, 1978, pp. 374–376
  96. Thetford, 1978, pp. 289–291
  97. Thetford, 1978, pp. 320–321, 328–329
  98. Thetford, 1978, pp. 415–416
  99. Thetford, 1978, pp. 304–306
  100. Thetford, 1978, pp. 222–223
  101. Thetford, 1978, pp. 381–382
  102. Thetford, 1978, pp. 337–338
  103. Thetford, 1978, pp. 250–251
  104. Thetford, 1978, pp. 347–348
  105. Thetford, 1978, pp. 397–398
  106. Thetford, 1978, pp. 287–288
  107. Thetford, 1978, pp. 285–286
  108. Thetford, 1978, pp. 332–334
  109. Thetford, 1978, pp. 204–205
  110. Thetford, 1978, p. 620
  111. Thetford, 1978, pp. 316–317
  112. Thetford, 1978, p. 603
  113. Thetford, 1978, pp. 387–392
  114. Thetford, 1978, p. 581
  115. Wingspan, January 1996, p. 52
  116. Thetford, 1978, pp. 358–365
  117. Thetford, 1978, pp. 339–346
  118. Thetford, 1978, pp. 283–284
  119. Thetford, 1978, pp. 100–101
  120. Web site: Islander BN2T CC Mk2 . Royal Air Force . https://web.archive.org/web/20120404061017/http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/islander.cfm . 4 April 2012. dead.
  121. Thetford, 1978, pp. 447–448
  122. Thetford, 1978, pp. 277–280
  123. Thetford, 1978, pp. 91–95
  124. Thetford, 1978, pp. 445–446
  125. Thetford, 1978, p. 594
  126. Thetford, 1978, pp. 61–66
  127. Thetford, 1978, p. 575
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  129. Thetford, 1978, pp. 437–438
  130. Thetford, 1978, pp. 163–170
  131. Thetford, 1978, pp. 82–88
  132. Thetford, 1978, p. 595
  133. Thetford, 1978, pp. 69–70
  134. Thetford, 1978, pp. 435–436
  135. Thetford, 1978, pp. 246–247
  136. Thetford, 1978, pp. 549–551
  137. Thetford, 1978, pp. 407–408
  138. Thetford, 1978, pp. 59–60
  139. Thetford, 1978, pp. 307–308
  140. Thetford, 1978, pp. 403–404
  141. Thetford, 1978, pp. 411–412
  142. Thetford, 1978, pp. 399–400
  143. Thetford, 1978, pp. 409–410
  144. Thetford, 1978, p. 598
  145. Thetford, 1978, pp. 267–276
  146. Thetford, 1978, pp. 36–38
  147. Thetford, 1978, pp. 419–420
  148. Thetford, 1978, pp. 171–172
  149. Thetford, 1978, pp. 187–203
  150. Thetford, 1978, pp. 417–418, 421–422
  151. Thetford, 1978, pp. 395–396
  152. Thetford, 1978, pp. 413–414
  153. Thetford, 1978, pp. 379–380, 613–614
  154. Thetford, 1978, p. 599
  155. Thetford, 1978, pp. 116–117
  156. Thetford, 1978, pp. 18–19
  157. Hamlin 2001, p. 21
  158. Hamlin 2001, p. 61
  159. Thetford, 1978, pp. 385–386
  160. Thetford, 1978, pp. 102–103
  161. Thetford, 1978, p. 601
  162. Thetford, 1978, pp. 405–406
  163. Thetford, 1978, pp. 439–440
  164. Thetford, 1978, pp. 429–430
  165. Thetford, 1978, pp. 427–428
  166. Thetford, 1978, pp. 383–384
  167. Thetford, 1978, pp. 566–567
  168. Thetford, 1978, pp. 449–450
  169. Thetford, 1978, pp. 423–424
  170. Thetford, 1978, pp. 475–476
  171. Thetford, 1978, p. 570
  172. Thetford, 1978, pp. 497–498
  173. Thetford, 1978, p.609
  174. Thetford, 1978, pp. 71–76
  175. Thetford, 1978, pp. 114–115
  176. Thetford, 1978, pp. 451–452
  177. Thetford, 1978, pp. 20–24
  178. Thetford, 1978, p. 602
  179. Thetford, 1978, pp.
  180. Thetford, 1978, pp. 469–470
  181. Thetford, 1978, pp. 481–496
  182. Thetford, 1978, p. 608
  183. http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/squirrelht1.cfm Squirrel HT1
  184. Thetford, 1978, pp. 459–464
  185. Thetford, 1978, pp. 479–480
  186. Thetford, 1978, pp. 453–458
  187. Thetford, 1978, pp. 499–503
  188. Thetford, 1978, pp. 155–156
  189. Thetford, 1978, pp. 353–357
  190. Thetford, 1978, pp. 431–432
  191. Thetford, 1978, pp. 183–184
  192. Thetford, 1978, pp. 173–176
  193. Thetford, 1978, pp. 318–319
  194. Thetford, 1978, pp. 425–426
  195. Web site: Race through the skies in an RAF Tornado. BBC Reel. en. 2019-01-31.
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  197. Thetford, 1978, pp. 441–442
  198. Thetford, 1978, pp. 349–352
  199. Thetford, 1978, pp. 519–520
  200. Thetford, 1978, pp. 535–537
  201. Thetford, 1978, pp. 540–541
  202. Thetford, 1978, pp. 206–209, 212–215
  203. Thetford, 1978, pp. 538–539
  204. Thetford, 1978, pp. 89–90
  205. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/raf-vc10s-to-make-last-operational-flight-390782/ flightglobal.com - RAF VC10s to make last operational flight
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  207. Thetford, 1978, pp.542-543
  208. Air Britain: RAF Aircraft KA100 - KZ999, Tonbridge 1990
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  210. Thetford, 1978, pp. 393–394
  211. Thetford, 1978, pp. 506–507
  212. Thetford, 1978, pp. 309–313
  213. Thetford, 1978, pp. 513–514
  214. Thetford, 1978, pp.608
  215. Air-Britain: Viking - Valetta - Varsity, 1975
  216. Thetford, 1978, pp. 515–516
  217. Thetford, 1978, pp. 504–505
  218. Thetford, 1978, pp. 508–512
  219. Thetford, 1978, pp. 77–81
  220. Thetford, 1978, pp. 546–548
  221. Thetford, 1978, p.610
  222. Thetford, 1978, pp. 477–478
  223. Thetford, 1978, pp. 544–545
  224. Thetford, 1978, pp. 531–534
  225. Thetford, 1978, pp. 112–113
  226. Thetford, 1978, pp. 521–522
  227. Thetford, 1978, pp. 523–530
  228. Thetford, 1978, pp. 563–565
  229. Thetford, 1978, pp. 552–553
  230. Thetford, 1978, pp. 556–560
  231. Thetford, 1978, pp. 28–33
  232. Thetford, 1978, pp. 314–315
  233. Thetford, 1978, pp. 67–68
  234. Web site: RAF - Civil Aircraft in WWII Service. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110805170429/http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/CivilAircraftinWWIIService.cfm. 2011-08-05.
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  236. Moss 1962, p. 20
  237. Moss 1962, p. 28
  238. Thetford, 1978, p. 617
  239. Francillon, René: McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920: Volume I, p. 172
  240. Air Britain: RAF Aircraft DA100 - DZ999, 2008
  241. Air Britain: RAF Aircraft HA100 - HZ999, 1998
  242. Moss 1964, p. 110
  243. Thetford, 1978, p. 618
  244. Thetford, 1978, p. 590
  245. Thetford, 1978, p. 591
  246. Thetford, 1978, pp. 471–472
  247. Thetford, 1978, pp. 473–474
  248. Thetford, 1978, p. 411