List of aircraft of the United Kingdom in World War II

Last updated

Here is a list of aircraft used by the British Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Army Air Corps (AAC) and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) [1] during the Second World War.

Contents

Fighters and fighter-bombers

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.II The Royal Air Force in Britain, April 1941 TR139.jpg
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.II
de Havilland Mosquito NF.II night fighter The Royal Air Force in Malta, June 1943 TR1075 (cropped).jpg
de Havilland Mosquito NF.II night fighter
Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc night fighter Hurricane IIC 87 Sqn RAF in flight 1942.jpg
Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc night fighter

Torpedo bombers, dive bombers and army cooperation

Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber A Fairey Swordfish in Flight TR1138.jpg
Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber

Level bombers

Handley Page Hampden Handley Page Hampden in the air.jpg
Handley Page Hampden
Formation of Avro Lancaster Mk.Is The Royal Air Force in Britain, 29 September 1942 TR197 (cropped).jpg
Formation of Avro Lancaster Mk.Is

Maritime patrol and coastal reconnaissance

Coastal Command Short Sunderland Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Short S.25 Sunderland CH21574 (cropped).jpg
Coastal Command Short Sunderland
Coastal Command Consolidated Liberator, the type that closed the Mid-Atlantic gap Consolidated Liberator GR Mk.VI - The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945 CA122 (cropped).jpg
Coastal Command Consolidated Liberator, the type that closed the Mid-Atlantic gap

Photo reconnaissance

RAF 544 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito PR.XVI De Havilland Mosquito PR Mk XVI of No. 544 Squadron RAF based at Benson, Oxfordshire, December 1944. CH14259 (cropped).jpg
RAF 544 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito PR.XVI

Trainers and target tugs

Avro Anson trainer Avro Anson c. 1940 (cropped).jpg
Avro Anson trainer
North American Harvard Mk.I American Aircraft in RAF Service 1939-1945- North American Na-16 and Na-66 Harvard. CH606 (cropped).jpg
North American Harvard Mk.I
Miles Master trainer Miles M.27 Master MkIII W8667, No.5 SFTS. IWM-COL198.jpg
Miles Master trainer

Transport and communications

Avro York - LV633 Ascalon, Churchill's personal aircraft. Avro York.jpg
Avro York - LV633 Ascalon, Churchill's personal aircraft.
No. 115 Squadron RAF Handley Page Harrow transport HP Harrow ExCC.jpg
No. 115 Squadron RAF Handley Page Harrow transport
Model nameIntroductionRetiredBuiltOperator
Airspeed Envoy 1934195252RAF
Airspeed Courier 1933194716RAF [note 2]
Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle 19401945602RAF
Armstrong Whitworth Ensign 1938194614BOAC
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley 193719451814 [note 3] RAF
Avro Lancastrian 1945196091RAF, BOAC
Avro York 19441964259RAF
Beechcraft Expeditor 1937unk.9000RAF, FAA
Boeing Clipper 193919463BOAC
Bristol Bombay 1939194451RAF
Bristol Buckingham 19431945119RAF
Consolidated PB2Y Coronado 1937194610RAF
Consolidated Liberator 19431945200RAF
de Havilland Albatross 193819437Imperial Airways, BOAC, RAF [note 2]
de Havilland Express 1934194162RAF, FAA [note 2]
de Havilland Dragon Rapide 19341958731RAF, FAA [note 2]
de Havilland Dragonfly 1936194567RAF [note 2]
de Havilland Flamingo 1939195014RAF, FAA, BOAC
de Havilland Hornet Moth 1934unk.164RAF [note 2]
de Havilland Leopard Moth 1933unk.133RAF [note 2]
de Havilland Mosquito 194119637781BOAC
de Havilland Moth Minor 1937unk.140RAF, FAA
de Havilland Puss Moth 1930unk.140RAF [note 2]
Douglas Dakota 1942unk.1900+RAF, BOAC
Douglas Skymaster 1942197522RAF
Fairchild Argus 19321948831RAF
Foster Wikner Warferry 1936unk.10RAF [note 2]
Grumman G-21 Goose 1935unk.49RAF, FAA
Grumman Gosling 1940unk.15RAF, FAA
Handley Page Halifax 194019616176 [note 3] RAF
Handley Page H.P.42 193119404RAF [note 2]
Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow 19371945100RAF
Hawker Hardy 193419418RAF
Heston Phoenix 193619526RAF [note 2]
Percival Petrel 1938194727RAF [note 2]
Percival Proctor 193919551147RAF
Percival Vega Gull 1935194590RAF [note 2]
Lockheed Lodestar 1940unk.625RAF, BOAC
Miles Mentor 1938195045RAF
Miles Mercury 194119466RAF
Miles Messenger 1942unk.21RAF
Short C-Class Empire 1939RAF, BOAC [note 2]
Short Hythe 1942194629BOAC
Short S.26 G-Class Empire 193919473RAF, BOAC [note 2]
Short Stirling 194119462,371 [note 3] RAF
Short Scylla 193419402BOAC
Sikorsky Hoverfly 1945194652RAF
Stinson Reliant 19371943500RAF, FAA
Stinson L-5 Sentinel 19421945100RAF
Stinson L-1 Vigilant 1941unk.30-71RAF, FAA
Taylorcraft Auster 194219651630RAF
Vickers Type 264 Valentia 1934194482RAF
Vickers Warwick 19391945842 [note 3] RAF
Westland Lysander 193819461,786 [note 3] RAF

Experimental and other

Gloster E.28/39 jet engine testbed IWM-CH14832A Gloster E28-39 205210674.jpg
Gloster E.28/39 jet engine testbed

Prototypes & trials

Brewster Bermuda I Royal Air Force Brewster Bermuda I (sn FF741).jpg
Brewster Bermuda I
Martin-Baker M.B.5 Martin-Baker M.B.5 prototype.jpg
Martin-Baker M.B.5

Gliders

Airspeed Horsa troop glider Horsa glider (cropped).jpg
Airspeed Horsa troop glider

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

Notes

Citations

  1. Used for logistics support with RAF crews.
  2. "No. 5 Squadron (RAF): Second World War". History of War. Retrieved 23 April 2020.

Bibliography