Seaplane Tender (ST) 206
May 31 Following successful trials with prototype vessel RAF 200 undertaken by Aircraftman T.E. Shaw (a.k.a. ‘Lawrence of Arabia’) in March 1931, ordered under contract 104561/31 as …
Location: Hangar 1
Hawker Siddeley Gnat T1
Derived from a single seat fighter project, the Gnat provided advanced flying training for RAF fast jet pilots in the 1960s and 1970s. The Gnat first flew …
Short Sunderland MR5
By the start of World War Two in September 1939 three squadrons had been equipped with the Sunderlands. Seven hundred and forty-nine Sunderlands were built, and they …
Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3
Famous throughout the world as the first jet fighter capable of vertical take off and landing, the Harrier was utilised by the Royal Air Force as a …
Supermarine Spitfire Vb
The Spitfire MkV was one of the most successful ‘stop-gaps’ ever introduced into Royal Air Force Service. Over one hundred and forty RAF squadrons operated the type. …
Hunting Percival Pembroke C1
Entering service in 1953, the Pembroke took over from the venerable Anson in the light transport and communications role. It was developed from the Prince civil transport …
Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF-1) F-35
The Joint Strike Fighter, which is being built by Lockheed Martin as the F35 Lightning II, will be known in UK service as the Joint Combat Aircraft …
Vickers Varsity T Mk I
The Varsity was a versatile twin piston-engined aircraft brought into RAF service in 1951 for crew training as a replacement for the Wellington T10. The aircraft had …
Mignet Flying Flea
This aircraft was designed by Henri Mignet in the early 1930s to be built at home. It is of tandem wing design and could use a variety …
Percival Provost T1
Adopted as the RAF’s basic trainer in 1953, the Provost remained in service in that role until replaced by a development of the design, the Jet Provost, …
Westland Wessex HC2
Produced as a turbine-powered development of the American Sikorsky S-58, the initial British production version was the Wessex HAS Mk 1 for the Royal Navy, entering service …
de Havilland Comet 1XB
The first flight of the Comet, the world’s first jet powered airliner, took place on 27 July 1949. With a cruising speed of 725kph (450mph) and a …
Armstrong Whitworth Argosy C1
The Argosy was a variant of the civil AW650 freight aircraft. The RAF ordered fifty-six Argosies for use as medium range transport, paratroop and supply aircraft. The …
Avro Anson C.19
Starting life in the RAF in 1936 as a Coastal Command reconnaissance and attack aircraft, the Anson was primarily used on light transport and training duties. The …
Fairchild F-24 Argus
The four-seat Fairchild F24, sporting and training aeroplane, made its first flight in 1932. The design attracted attention from the civilian American market and improved models soon …