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
- Braunschweig LF-1 Zaunkönig
- 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
Footnotes
References
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. .
- Hamlin, John F. The Oxford, Consul & Envoy File. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2001.
- 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). .
- 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. .
- Rawlings, John D. R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. .
- Rawlings, John D. R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (2nd edition 1976, reprinted 1978). .
- Thetford, Owen: Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918. 7th edition. London: Putnam & Co., 1978. .
External links