List of aircraft of the United Kingdom i

List of aircraft of the United Kingdom in World War II

Fighters and fighter-bombers

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.II

de Havilland Mosquito NF.II night fighter

Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc night fighter

Bell Airacobra (RAF),[note 1] one example for carrier landing by RN.
Blackburn Roc (FAA) naval turret fighter retired from combat by 1941
Blackburn Skua (FAA) naval fighter/dive bomber retired from combat 1941
Boulton Paul Defiant (RAF) turret fighter/night fighter until withdrawn in 1942-1943 from operational roles
Brewster Buffalo (RAF)
Bristol Beaufighter (RAF) strike fighter
Bristol Blenheim (RAF) long range fighter and night fighter
Curtiss Mohawk (RAF)
Curtiss Kittyhawk and Tomahawk (RAF)
de Havilland Mosquito (RAF) night fighter & fighter-bomber
de Havilland Vampire (RAF) prototype jet fighter
Douglas Havoc (RAF) night fighter
Fairey Fulmar (FAA) fleet fighter
Fairey Firefly (FAA) fleet fighter
Gloster Gladiator (RAF, FAA)
Gloster Meteor (RAF) jet fighter
Gloster Sea Gladiator (FAA)
Grumman Martlet/Wildcat (FAA)
Grumman Hellcat (FAA)
Hawker Hurricane (RAF, FAA)
Hawker Sea Hurricane (FAA)
Hawker Tempest (RAF)
Hawker Typhoon (RAF)
North American Mustang (RAF)
Republic Thunderbolt (RAF)
Supermarine Spitfire (RAF & FAA)
Supermarine Seafire (FAA)
Vought Corsair (FAA)
Westland Whirlwind (RAF) twin engine fighter
Westland Welkin (RAF) high altitude fighter

Torpedo bombers, dive bombers and army cooperation

Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber

Avro Rota (RAF) Army cooperation autogyro
Blackburn Skua (FAA) naval fighter/dive bomber
Fairey Albacore (RAF, FAA) torpedo/dive bomber
Fairey Barracuda (FAA) torpedo/dive bomber
Fairey Swordfish (FAA) torpedo bomber
Grumman Tarpon/Avenger (FAA) torpedo bomber
Hawker Audax (RAF) Army cooperation biplane
Hawker Hardy (RAF) General purpose biplane
Hawker Hector (RAF) Army cooperation biplane
Hawker Hind (RAF) light bomber
North American Mustang (RAF) tactical reconnaissance and ground-attack under RAF Army Cooperation Command
Vickers Vildebeest (RAF) torpedo bomber, retired 1942
Westland Lysander (RAF) Army cooperation
Westland Wapiti (RAF) general purpose biplane used in India until 1940[2]

Level bombers

Handley Page Hampden

Formation of Avro Lancaster Mk.Is

Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle (RAF)
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley (RAF)
Avro Manchester (RAF)
Avro Lancaster (RAF)
Avro Lincoln (RAF)
Boeing Fortress (RAF)
Boulton Paul Overstrand (RAF) withdrawn from operational service in late 1939
Bristol Beaufort (RAF, FAA)
Bristol Blenheim/Bisley (RAF)
Bristol Bombay (RAF) bomber-transport
Douglas Boston (RAF)
Fairey Battle (RAF)
Fairey Gordon (RAF)
Handley Page Halifax (RAF)
Handley Page Hampden/Hereford (RAF)
Lockheed Hudson (RAF)
Lockheed Ventura (RAF)
Martin Maryland (RAF, FAA)
Martin Marauder (RAF)
Martin Baltimore (RAF, FAA)
North American Mitchell (RAF, FAA)
Short Stirling (RAF)
Vickers Valentia (RAF) bomber-transport
Vickers Vincent (RAF) general purpose
Vickers Warwick (RAF) prototypes only, most used for maritime reconnaissance and air-sea rescue
Vickers Wellesley (RAF)
Vickers Wellington (RAF)

Maritime patrol and coastal reconnaissance

Coastal Command Short Sunderland

Coastal Command Consolidated Liberator, the type that closed the Mid-Atlantic gap

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley (RAF)
Avro Anson (RAF, FAA)
Boeing Fortress (RAF)
Blackburn Botha (RAF)
Bristol Beaufort (RAF, FAA)
Consolidated Catalina (RAF)
Consolidated Liberator (RAF)
Fairey Seal (RAF, FAA) obsolete by 1943
Fairey Seafox (FAA) floatplane
Fokker T.VIII (RAF) 1940, ex-Dutch floatplane
Handley Page Hampden (RAF)
Lockheed Hudson (RAF)
Lockheed Ventura (RAF)
Martin Maryland (RAF)
Saro London (RAF) retired 1941
Saro Lerwick (RAF) retired 1942
Short Empire (RAF) two aircraft
Short Seaford (RAF) 1945, after VE Day
Short Singapore (RAF) retired 1941
Short Sunderland (RAF)
Supermarine Walrus (FAA, RAF) for air-sea rescue
Supermarine Sea Otter (RAF and FAA) air-sea rescue
Supermarine Stranraer (RAF) retired 1942
Vickers Warwick (RAF)
Vickers Wellington (RAF)
Vought Kingfisher (FAA)
Westland Lysander (RAF)

Photo reconnaissance

RAF 544 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito PR.XVI

Trainers and target tugs

Avro Anson trainer

North American Harvard Mk.I

Miles Master trainer

Airspeed Oxford (RAF) bomber trainer
Avro 626 (RAF)
Avro Anson (RAF, FAA) multi-engine navigation and bomber crew trainer
Avro Tutor (RAF, FAA)
Blackburn B-2 (RAF) to 1942, most used by civilian training schools
Blackburn Botha (RAF) RAF target tug, retired 1944
Blackburn Shark (FAA) after withdrawn from use as torpedo bomber
Boulton Paul Defiant (RAF) gunnery trainer from 1942 to 1945
Boulton Paul Overstrand (RAF) obsolete bomber used as gunnery trainer to 1941
Cierva C.30 (RAF) Army cooperation training
Curtiss Cleveland (RAF) ground instructional training
de Havilland Tiger Moth (RAF, FAA) primary trainer
de Havilland Dominie (RAF) radio trainer
de Havilland Don (RAF) ground instructional training
Fairey III.F (FAA) obsolete bomber used as target tug until 1941
Fairey Gordon (RAF) obsolete bomber used as trainer and target tug
Fairey Seal (RAF) obsolete bomber used as trainer and target tug until 1942
General Aircraft Cygnet (RAF) tricycle undercarriage trainer
General Aircraft Owlet (RAF) tricycle undercarriage trainer
Handley Page Heyford (RAF) obsolete bomber used as trainer to 1941
Hawker Demon (RAF) obsolete fighter used as trainer
Hawker Hart (RAF) obsolete bomber used as trainer and target tug
Hawker Henley (RAF) target tug
Hawker Osprey (FAA) obsolete fighter used as trainer
Miles Magister (RAF) primary trainer
Miles Martinet (RAF)
Miles Master (RAF) target tug
North American Harvard (RAF, FAA) advanced pilot trainer
Percival Proctor (RAF, FAA) radio trainer
Sikorsky Hoverfly (RAF) helicopter
Vickers Wellington (RAF) bomber trainer
Westland Lysander (RAF) target tug
Westland Wallace (RAF) obsolete bomber used as target tug after withdrawn from general use, to 1943

Transport and communications

Avro York - LV633 Ascalon, Churchill's personal aircraft.

No. 115 Squadron RAF Handley Page Harrow transport

Model nameIntroductionRetiredBuiltOperator

Airspeed Envoy1934195252RAF

Airspeed Courier1933194716RAF[note 2]

Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle19401945602RAF

Armstrong Whitworth Ensign1938194614BOAC

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley193719451814[note 3]RAF

Avro Lancastrian1945196091RAF, BOAC

Avro York19441964259RAF

Beechcraft Expeditor1937unk.9000RAF, FAA

Boeing Clipper193919463BOAC

Bristol Bombay1939194451RAF

Bristol Buckingham19431945119RAF

Consolidated PB2Y Coronado1937194610RAF

Consolidated B-24 Liberator19431945200RAF

de Havilland Albatross193819437Imperial Airways, BOAC, RAF[note 2]

de Havilland Express1934194162RAF, FAA[note 2]

de Havilland Dragon Rapide19341958731RAF, FAA[note 2]

de Havilland Dragonfly1936194567RAF[note 2]

de Havilland Flamingo1939195014RAF, FAA, BOAC

de Havilland Hornet Moth1934unk.164RAF[note 2]

de Havilland Leopard Moth1933unk.133RAF[note 2]

de Havilland Mosquito194119637781BOAC

de Havilland Moth Minor1937unk.140RAF, FAA

de Havilland Puss Moth1930unk.140RAF[note 2]

Douglas Dakota1942unk.1900+RAF, BOAC

Douglas C-54 Skymaster1942197522RAF

Fairchild Argus19321948831RAF

Foster Wikner Warferry1936unk.10RAF[note 2]

Grumman G-21 Goose1935unk.49RAF, FAA

Grumman Gosling1940unk.15RAF, FAA

Handley Page Halifax194019616176[note 3]RAF

Handley Page H.P.42193119404RAF[note 2]

Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow19371945100RAF

Hawker Hardy193419418RAF

Heston Phoenix193619526RAF[note 2]

Percival Petrel1938194727RAF[note 2]

Percival Proctor193919551147RAF

Percival Vega Gull1935194590RAF[note 2]

Lockheed Lodestar1940unk.625RAF, BOAC

Miles Mentor1938195045RAF

Miles Mercury194119466RAF

Miles Messenger1942unk.21RAF

Short C-Class Empire1939RAF, BOAC[note 2]

Short Hythe1942194629BOAC

Short S.26 G-Class Empire193919473RAF, BOAC[note 2]

Short Stirling194119462,371[note 3]RAF

Short Scylla193419402BOAC

Sikorsky Hoverfly1945194652RAF

Stinson Reliant19371943500RAF, FAA

Stinson L-5 Sentinel19421945100RAF

Stinson L-1 Vigilant1941unk.30-71RAF, FAA

Taylorcraft Auster194219651630RAF

Vickers Type 264 Valentia1934194482RAF

Vickers Warwick19391945842[note 3]RAF

Westland Lysander193819461,786[note 3]RAF

Experimental and other

Gloster E.28/39 jet engine testbed

Baynes Bat (RAF) tailless tank carrying glider
Boulton Paul P.92 (RAF) turret fighter half scale prototype
Bristol Type 138 (RAF) high-altitude research
Folland Fo.108 engine testbed (operated by engine manufacturers)
General Aircraft GAL.56 (RAF) tailless swept wing glider
Gloster E.28/39 (RAF) jet propelled aircraft
Gloster Gauntlet (RAF) obsolete fighter used for meteorological flights
Handley Page Manx (RAF) flying wing
Hillson Bi-mono (RAF) slip wing testbed
Miles M.3E Gillette Falcon (RAF) high speed airfoil testing
Miles M.30 (RAF) blended-wing testbed
Miles M.35 Libellula (RAF) canard testbed
Miles M.39B Libellula (RAF) canard testbed
Saro Shrimp half scale development testbed for R.5/39 Sunderland replacement
Vickers Type 470 and Type 486 Wellington (RAF) flying test beds for Whittle turbojet

Prototypes & trials

Airspeed Cambridge (RAF) trainer
Airspeed Fleet Shadower (RAF) maritime patrol
Blackburn B-20 (RAF) maritime patrol seaplane
Blackburn Firebrand (FAA) torpedo fighter

Brewster Bermuda I

Brewster Buccaneer (FAA) dive bomber rejected for service after trials
Bristol Brigand (RAF) bomber
Bristol Buckingham (RAF) bomber
Curtiss Cleveland (RAF) dive-bomber diverted from French but not used
Curtiss Helldiver (FAA) dive bomber rejected for service after trials
de Havilland Hornet (RAF) twin engine fighter
de Havilland Sea Hornet (FAA) twin engine fighter
de Havilland Vampire (RAF) jet fighter prototype
Fairey Spearfish (FAA) torpedo/dive bomber
General Aircraft Fleet Shadower (RAF) maritime patrol

Martin-Baker M.B.5

General Aircraft GAL.47 (RAF) Army cooperation
General Aircraft GAL.55 (RAF) training glider
Gloster F.9/37 (RAF) heavy fighter
Hafner Rotabuggy (RAF) developed as a way of air-dropping vehicles
Hawker Hotspur (RAF) turret fighter
Hawker Fury (monoplane) (RAF) fighter
Hawker Tornado (RAF) fighter
Lockheed Lightning (RAF) evaluation only before order cancelled
Martin-Baker MB 2 (RAF) fighter
Martin-Baker MB 3 (RAF) fighter
Martin-Baker MB 5 (RAF) fighter
Martin Mariner (RAF) tested October–December 1943, then rejected
Miles M.18 (RAF) trainer
Miles M.20 (RAF) fighter
Reid and Sigrist R.S.3 Desford (RAF) rejected trainer
Supermarine B.12/36 (Type 317)
Supermarine Type 322 (FAA) torpedo/dive bomber
Supermarine Spiteful (RAF) fighter
Vickers Type 432 (RAF) high-altitude fighter
Vickers Windsor (RAF) bomber
Vought Chesapeake (FAA) dive bomber diverted from French but not used
Vultee Vengeance (RAF) dive bomber rejected for service after trials

Gliders

Airspeed Horsa troop glider

Airspeed Horsa (RAF, Army Air Corps)
General Aircraft Hamilcar (RAF, Army Air Corps)
General Aircraft Hotspur (RAF, Army Air Corps) training glider
Slingsby Hengist (RAF)
Waco Hadrian (RAF, Army Air Corps)