List of aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps

Last updated

This is a list of aircraft used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) from 13 April 1912, when it was formed from the Air Battalion Royal Engineers, until 1 April 1918 when it was merged with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) to form the Royal Air Force (RAF). The RFC operated in parallel with the RNAS, whose aircraft are listed at List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service. For a list of Royal Air Force aircraft see List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force.

Contents

British Royal Flying Corps Sopwith Pup Sopwith Pup A7302.jpg
British Royal Flying Corps Sopwith Pup

Operational aeroplanes

Operational aeroplanes
AircraftRoleFirst flightIntroduced to RFC service
Airco DH.1 [1] Fighter / General purposeJanuary 19151915
Airco DH.2 [2] FighterJuly 19151915
Airco DH.4 [3] Light bomber / General purposeAugust 1916January 1917
Airco DH.5 [4] FighterAugust 1916May 1917
Airco DH.6 [5] Trainer19161917
Airco DH.9 [6] BomberJuly 1917November 1917
Airco DH.9A [7] Light bomber/General purposeMarch 1918Introduced to the RAF in 1918
Armstrong Whitworth F.K.2 [8] General purpose19151915
Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 [9] General purpose / Trainer19151916
Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 [10] Bomber / ReconnaissanceMay 1916June 1916
Avro Type E/Es/500 [11] General purpose3 March 19121912
Avro 504 [12] Trainer / Fighter18 September 19131913
Blériot XI [13] Trainer / Reconnaissance23 January 19091912
Blériot XII [14] Sport21 May 1909Operated by the Balloon School, not the RFC
Blériot XXI [15] ReconnaissanceFebruary 19111911
Blériot Parasol Monoplane [16] Observation / Trainer / Light bomber23 January 19091912
Breguet Type III [17] Experimental1910 ?
Bristol Boxkite [18] Trainer30 July 19101911 (for the Air Battalion)
Bristol-Coanda Monoplane [19] Trainer1912 ?
Bristol F.2A and F.2B Fighter [20] [21] Fighter / Reconnaissance9 September 1916Late 1916
Bristol Scout [22] Reconnaissance / Fighter23 February 19141914
Bristol M.1 [23] Fighter14 July 19161917
Caudron G.III [24] ReconnaissanceLate 1913 ?
Curtiss JN-3 [25] Trainer ?March 1915 [26]
Curtiss JN-4A [27] Trainer19151917
Curtiss JN-4 (Canadian) [note 1] [28] Trainer ?1917
Deperdussin TT [29] General purpose1912 ?
Farman HF.20 [30] Reconnaissance1913 ?
Farman HF.27 [31] Reconnaissance ? ?
Farman MF.7 Longhorn [32] Reconnaissance1913 ?
Farman MF.11 Shorthorn [33] Reconnaissance / Bomber1913 ?
FBA Type B [34] Reconnaissance (flying boat) ? ?
Grahame-White Type XV [35] Trainer1913 ?
Martinsyde S.1 [36] Fighter1914 ?
Martinsyde G.100 & 102 [37] Fighter-bomber1915mid-1916
Morane-Saulnier G [38] Reconnaissance1912 ?
Morane-Saulnier H [38] Reconnaissance1913 ?
Morane-Saulnier BB [39] Observation1915 ?
Morane-Saulnier I [40] FighterMarch 1916 ?
Morane-Saulnier L [41] ReconnaissanceAugust 1913 ?
Morane-Saulnier LA [42] Reconnaissance ? ?
Morane-Saulnier N [43] Fighter22 July 1914 ?
Morane-Saulnier V [40] FighterApril 1916 ?
Morane-Saulnier P [44] Reconnaissance1914 ?
Nieuport II.N [45] Sport1910 ?
Nieuport IV.G [46] Reconnaissance19111911 (for the Air Battalion)
Nieuport 12 [47] Reconnaissance / Fighter / Trainer1915 ?
Nieuport 16 [48] Fighter1916 ?
Nieuport 17 & 23 [49] January 1916 ?
Nieuport 20 [50] 1915 ?
Nieuport 23bis [51]  ? ?
Nieuport 24 & 24bis [52] 1917 ?
Nieuport 27 [53] 1917 ?
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.1 [54] 4 December 1911 ?
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 [55] 1 February 1912 ?
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.3 & 4 [56] 3 May 19121912
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.7 [57]  ? ?
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 & 8a [58] 19131914
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 [59] 28 July 19151 August 1916
Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 [60] February 1914September 1915
Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 [61] September 19152 August 1916
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.1 [62] ReconnaissanceJuly 1913 ?
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5 [63] Reconnaissance / artillery observation19141914
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7 [64] Light bomber and reconnaissance19151915
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 [65]  ? ?
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.2 [66]  ? ?
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.4a [67]  ? ?
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 & 5a [68]  ? ?
Short School Biplane (S.43 & 44) [69]  ? ?
Short S.62 [70]  ? ?
Short Type 184  ? ?
Short Type 827 [71]  ? ?
Short Bomber [72]  ? ?
Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter [73]  ? ?
Sopwith 3-Seater  ? ?
Sopwith 80 hp Biplane [74]  ? ?
Sopwith Camel [75] December 1916June 1917
Sopwith Dolphin [76] May 1917February 1918
Sopwith Pup [77] February 1916October 1916
Sopwith Salamander [78] April 1918November 1918
Sopwith Snipe [79] October 1917August 1918
Sopwith Tabloid [80]  ? ?
SPAD S.VII [81]  ? ?
SPAD S.XIII [82]  ? ?
Vickers Boxkite (Vickers-Farman) [83]  ? ?
Vickers E.S.1 [84]  ? ?
Vickers F.B. 'Gun Carrier'/'Fighting Biplanes' [85]  ? ?
Vickers F.B.5 [86] Fighter17 July 1914November 1914
Vickers F.B.9 [87]  ? ?
Vickers F.B.12 [88]  ? ?
Vickers F.B.14 [89]  ? ?
Vickers F.B.19 [90]  ? ?
Voisin III & V [91]  ? ?

Airships

The airship service was disbanded 1 January 1914 and all airships transferred to the RNAS. See List of British airships

Prototypes

Unmanned aerial vehicles

List of weapons of the Royal Flying Corps

Bombs

Rockets

Machine guns

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2</span> Type of aircraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8</span> Royal Aircraft Factory First World War reconnaissance biplane

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Boxkite</span> Type of aircraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12</span> Type of aircraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5</span> Type of aircraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sopwith Three-seater</span> Type of aircraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.3</span> Type of aircraft

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References

Notes

  1. Operated by the RFC Canada.
  2. No serial assigned, donated aircraft probably not flown by the RFC.
  3. Abandoned en route during delivery flight, no serial assigned.
  4. 1 2 3 Ordered by the RFC but delivered to the Royal Air Force.
  5. No serial assigned, previous model B out of service before 1912.

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Bibliography