Aircraft Of The RAF

A Tour Of The Royal Air Force's Top 10 Planes

Sopwith Camel

The Sopwith Camel was one of the RAF’s main fighter aircraft in 1918. It was a single-seater that also sometimes did reconnaissance and bombing and its name derives from the ‘hump’ covering the machine guns in front of the pilot.

“When the average person hears about World War I in the air, among the first names that come readily to mind is ‘Sopwith Camel’. Its iconic status may be somewhat exaggerated, but there is no question that the Camel was among the most produced, versatile and ubiquitous combat aeroplanes of its time, serving over land and sea from England to Mesopotamia, as well as post-war revolution-convulsed Russia.”

So says Jon Guttman in his book ‘Sopwith Camel’. He continues:

“Camels sallied forth from frontline aerodromes to take on all opposition from Flanders to the Champagne. Night-fighting Camels and even more extensively-modified Comics rose from airfields in England to defend its cities from bombing raids by Zeppelin airships, Gothas and Zeppelin-Staaken giants, while other Camels, acting as pioneering night intruders, tried to ambush them as they returned to their own aerodromes. Sopwith 2F1 ‘Ships Camels’ shot up from carrier decks and towed lighters to engage enemy aircraft at sea – and in one case, to carry out a seaborne airstrike on an airship base.”

Guttman relates that the aircraft, though widely produced, was not universally appreciated:

“Those who delve deeper into the Camel mystique – past its evocative name – find a curiously ambiguous attitude toward its flying characteristics. In stark contrast to its predecessor, the much-loved Pup, the Camel was described as a constant handful to fly, unforgiving and even vicious to the complacent and careless.”

From the perspective of amateur historians, the Camel is also difficult to master statistically. The Forces Network has seen a range of top speeds listed for the F.1 version of the aircraft, from 117 miles per hour on BAE’s Heritage page to 112.5 (at 10,000 feet) in Guttman’s book. And speeds varied even more with later models, as they do with all aircraft.

To be sure, altitude must have played a role because aircraft reach different speeds at different heights, but so too did the complex nature of early aviation mechanics. The Camel incorporated a multitude of different engines, and, as the Royal Air Force Museum has advised, top speed wasn’t as standardised a measure as it is today.

Difficulties with the aircraft aside, Guttman tells us that the Sopwith Camel had many strengths to offer more experienced pilots:

“…many of those who mastered its quirks revered the Camel as a breathtaking aerobat and a peerless dogfighter, and regarded themselves as something of a privileged fraternity, similar to pilots who got to take the controls of a Supermarine Spitfire in the next war. The Camel was by no means the most aesthetically-pleasing aeroplane to take to the sky in 1917. It was, however, among the most evocative of its era – and equally evocative of strong feelings from both its pilots and its adversaries. From its own era through the mists of time to the present, from dread to admiration, the one reaction that the sight, sound or image of a Sopwith Camel does not evoke is indifference.”

Illustration: Sopwith Camels over Italy in 1918 (image from ‘Sopwith Camel’ by Jon Guttman © Osprey Publishing, part of Bloomsbury Publishing)

Aircraft

Sopwith Camel F.1

Entered Operational Service

Mid 1917

Retired by the RAF

1920

Description

The Sopwith Camel was one of the RAF's main fighter aircraft in 1918. It was a single-seater that also sometimes did reconnaissance and bombing and its name derives from the 'hump' covering the machine guns in front of the pilot.

Quantity Built

5,490–5,9001

Weapon System(s)

X2 Vickers Machine Guns (and up to four 25lb bombs)

Engine

Single 130 horse power Clerget

Wingspan

28ft

Max. Weight

1,453lb

Top Speed

112.5mph

Range/Endurance

2.5hours

Footnotes

All models, not just the F.1

Sources

BAE Systems and ‘Sopwith Camel’ by Jon Guttman; thanks to the Royal Air Force Museum for additional information

Hawker Hurricane

A single-seat fighter that was mechanically robust, simple and easy to fix, the Hurricane accounted for both roughly two thirds of Fighter Command’s strength and roughly two thirds of enemy aircraft downed during the Battle of Britain.

In ‘Battle of Britain 1940’, Douglas C Dildy clearly explains the development curve that led to the first Second World War fighters.

Because bombers had increased in speed during the 1930s, fighter aircraft with improved capabilities would be needed to intercept them:

“The Air Ministry (in Britain) required the advanced design – incorporating an enclosed cockpit and retractable undercarriage – to be capable of 275mph at 15,000ft altitude, be able to climb to 20,000ft in seven and a half minutes, and have a ceiling of 33,000ft. Based on recent studies, the design was required to mount a battery of eight .303in Browning machine guns that, firing at 1,150 rounds per minute, would in a two-second burst riddle the target with more than 300 bullet holes.”

The Hawker Hurricane was the result of this effort, its maiden flight being made at the end of 1935.

At the time it had a maximum speed of up to 325 miles per hour at 18,500 feet, a service ceiling of 34,000 feet and a range of 600 miles. The RAF Museum advised the Forces Network that 460 miles was a more accurate operational range for Mark I aircraft, with 600 being achieved by Mark 2a and c models – range meaning the maximum distance an aircraft could fly without carrying extra fuel. This differs from radius of action, which is the distance an aircraft can fly on operation and return to base comfortably.

The Hurricane would prove to be less able than the Messerschmitt Bf 109E. However, the RAF would, of course, also be equipped with the Spitfire, which was more of a match for the German fighter in the air.

But on the ground, it was the Hurricane that ruled. Not only was it easy to maintain, it was also relatively easy to construct (Spitfires took two-and-a-half times longer to produce).

This is the reason the Hurricane accounted for the majority of German casualties during the Battle of Britain – because there were more Hurricanes than Spitfires available to shoot them down.

Illustration: Many aircraft used by the RAF were also used by the Royal Navy – shown here is a Sea Hurricane over the ocean (image: Airfix)

Airfix is a registered trademark of Hornby Hobbies Ltd, and use of the illustrations has been kindly permitted by Hornby Hobbies Ltd © 2018

Aircraft

Hawker Hurricane

Entered Operational Service

1937

Retired by the RAF

1947

Description

Quantity Built

c. 15,000

Weapon System(s)

X8 Browning .303 machine guns (or X4 20mm Hispano Mk II cannons in later models) & x2 250 or 500 lb bombs

Engine

Merlin (Rolls-Royce PV-12)

Wingspan

40ft

Max. Weight

7,670lb

Top Speed

340mph

Range/Endurance

600miles

Footnotes

Contains stats from more than one mark

Sources

BAE Systems, Yorkshire Air Museum and ‘Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918’ by Owen Thetford (with special thanks to Gordon Leith and the (Royal Air Force Museum)

Supermarine Spitfire

Becoming the sister aircraft to the Hawker Hurricane, the Spitfire complemented the Hurricane’s mechanical simplicity by being a higher-maintenance but better-performing aircraft with superior specs. It is probably the most iconic British aircraft of all time.

At first glance, the Spitfire looks similar to its sister plane the Hawker Hurricane but one method to distinguish between them quickly is to look at the wings. That’s because the Spitfires have a distinctly elliptical shape.

The book ‘Britain 1940: The Battle of Britain’, from Osprey Publishing’s ‘Battles of World War II’ series, gives some background on this unique development in the aircraft’s design. The prototype at that time was known as the Supermarine Type 300 and Beverley Shenstone, the design team’s aerodynamicist, recalled:

“I remember once discussing the shape (of the wing) with (company Chief Designer) R J Mitchell, and he said jokingly ‘I don’t give a bugger whether it’s elliptical or not, so long as it covers the guns!’ The ellipse was simply the shape that allowed us the thinnest possible wing with sufficient room inside to carry the necessary structure and the things we wanted to cram in.”

The ‘cramming’ of the guns was necessary because the Air Ministry had decreed that the machine-gun load should be increased from four to eight, with each gun also requiring a box of 300 rounds.

But crammed in they were and the early fighter that came out of this work achieved a top speed of 349 miles per hour. It was soon dubbed the Mark I ‘Spitfire’, after the nickname of the daughter of Vickers’ Chairman Sir Robert Maclean (Vickers Aviation had become majority shareholders in Supermarine in 1928).

As with the Sopwith Camel, and all early aircraft, the ‘top speed’ of the Spitfire is a side story in itself. The Forces Network found reputable sources such as Osprey’s ‘Britain 1940: The Battle of Britain’ and Pat Cunningham’s ‘Figher! Fighter! Corkscrew Port!’ that listed the top speed as around 350 mph, and Doug Dildy’s ‘Battle of Britain 1940’ which has a figure of 355.

Conversely, BAE’s Spitfire heritage page has a speed of 364, something that was confirmed by the RAF Museum.

But even that seems to undersell Britain’s most famous aircraft. Part of the reason for this is that speed could be boosted for short periods. This is because the engine was designed to only run at a certain intensity so that high speed could be achieved without burnout occurring. But this limit could overridden, allowing a burst of additional speed for several minutes (hence a speed in the video above of up to 384 mph).

When the Forces Network spoke to Martin Overall of IWM Duxford’s Aircraft Restoration Company he confirmed that such speed boosts were possible but said that pilots would need to have informed engineers upon their return to base. Engines would have required special inspection for possible damage after a boost.

Having said that, he also made it clear that even a figure 384 mph doesn’t do justice to the Mark I’s performance. According to him, his team have tested the Mark I and seen it get up to 400 mph.

As noted with the Sopwith Camel, real-life speeds in early planes were often in excess of the limits laid down in official documents. Overall pointed out that there was nothing like having a Messerschmitt on your tail to find out what your Spitfire was capable of.

Illustration: A Spitfire Mark Va (image: Airfix)

Airfix is a registered trademark of Hornby Hobbies Ltd, and use of the illustrations has been kindly permitted by Hornby Hobbies Ltd © 2018

Aircraft

Supermarine Spitfire (Mk. 1)

Entered Operational Service

1938

Retired by the RAF

Mid 1950s1

Description

Quantity Built

20,300–20,4002

Weapon System(s)

X8 .303 calibre Browning machine guns

Engine

Merlin II or III (of 1,030 horse power) by Rolls-Royce

Wingspan

36ft 10in

Max. Weight

5,800lb

Top Speed

364mph

Range/Endurance

395miles

Footnotes

Later models
All models, not just the Mk.1

Sources

BAE Systems and the Royal Air Force Museum

De Havilland Mosquito

A versatile and incredibly capable aircraft, the two-seater wooden Mosquito was popularised by the movie ‘633 Squadron’ as a high-speed light bomber, although it performed many roles. It was so fast that the B Mark XVI version was even quicker than the Mark I Spitfire. Additionally, by late 1943, it could carry the same typical bomb load as a USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress (4,000 lb) and fly two missions a night over Berlin.

As well as the Spitfire, high speed was also achieved by the de Havilland Mosquito. Unlike the Spitfire, the Mosquito’s creator, Geoffrey de Havilland, achieved high speed and performance not from metal and elliptical wings but from wood. According to the History Channel:

“The aerodynamicists and the military men at that time ridiculed the idea, asking ‘How can you build a modern bomber out of wood? How would it carry bombs? And how would it protect itself?’”

The simple answer to that was by outrunning the competition. As the fastest plane in the world for a period, faster even than early Spitfires, the Mosquito could stay ahead of the competition.

Just how fast is also a matter open to question. The B (bomber) Mark XVI is listed by BAE as being able to reach speeds of up to 408 miles per hour. This was confirmed for the Forces Network by the de Havilland Aircraft Museum, though they said that speed in the Mark XVI could, like the Spitfire, also be boosted up to 419 mph.

Meanwhile, Martin Bowman’s book ‘De Havilland Mosquito’ lists a top speed of 439 mph (though this is not attributed to the B Mark XVI).

Another interesting statistical diversion is the operational range, listed by BAE as being 1,485 for the B Mark XVI. Though, according to the de Havilland Aircraft Museum, who referenced C Martin Sharp and Michael JF Bowyer’s ‘Mosquito’, this figure is for ‘dead’ air - a hypothetical figure for aircraft performance in air with less drag, or resistance, than usual. It instead gave a figure of 1,100 miles.

Whatever the specifics of the stats, Geoffrey de Havilland’s aircraft proved to be extraordinarily capable in general, taking on multiple roles.

One task it carried out commonly, and for which it is most widely remembered (thanks to the film ‘633 Squadron’), was high-speed, low-level bombing.

The exploits of those in 633 Squadron may have been fictional but Mosquito crews flew a number of real-life heroic missions, one of which was Operation Jericho.

Launched in early 1944 to prevent the imminent execution of members of the French Resistance, the mission required Mosquitos to bomb the high walls around Amiens Prison in German-occupied France. As the History Channel reports:

“The timing of the raid is essential to its success. It must be midday, when the prisoners are in the yard and the guards are having lunch. Equally important is precision. Great care has to be taken that enough explosive is used to smash a hole in the outside wall without destroying the prison and killing the inmates.”

As the ‘Mossies’ roared in and dropped their payloads, they flew in so low that one pilot remembered:

“I turned to starboard and, as I looked down, I saw the startled face of the (German) machine gunner… on top of the prison.”

50 German guards were killed and 37 prisoners, but the precision bombing was largely a success. A huge gaping hole was ripped in the outer wall that allowed 255 prisoners to escape – testament to the amazing speed and capabilities of the de Havilland Mosquito and skill and courage of her crews.

Illustration: Later Mosquitos were equipped with nose guns (image: Airfix)

Airfix is a registered trademark of Hornby Hobbies Ltd, and use of the illustrations has been kindly permitted by Hornby Hobbies Ltd © 2018

Aircraft

De Havilland Mosquito (B Mk. XVI)

Entered Operational Service

19411

Retired by the RAF

19632

Description

Quantity Built

7,7813

Weapon System(s)

X1 4,000 lb bomb or x4 500lb bombs internally; plus x2 500 lb bombs on wings

Engine

Two 1,710 horse power Merlin 72/73 or 76/77 V12 engines by Rolls-Royce

Wingspan

54ft 2in

Max. Weight

23,000lb

Top Speed

408mph

Range/Endurance

1,100miles

Footnotes

Date of entry given for first model
Not necessarily the B Mk. XVI
All models, not just the B Mk. XVI

Sources

BAE Systems Air Ministry ‘Performance and Data of British-Service Aircraft: RAF Fighters and Bombers’ (with special thanks to Gordon Leith at the Royal Air Force Museum and to Ralph Steiner at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum for assistance with fact checking)

Gloster Meteor

The RAF’s first jet aircraft, it was a fighter that entered service during the Second World War.

Conceived during the Battle of Britain, the Gloster Meteor would soon outclass conventional propeller aircraft like the Spitfire and Hurricane and even the Mosquito.

According to BAE, the first operational aircraft came with Rolls-Royce Welland engines and speeds of over 400 miles an hour were achieved.

By the time the F.4 and later F.8 were introduced, speeds of close to 600 mph, with the more fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Derwent engines, were the norm.

Glosters also came with four Hispano cannons and space for either four individual rockets or four pods for twin rockets.

Bombs could also be carried and night fighter and reconnaissance variants also emerged.

But impressive as some of these developments were, the Telegraph has reported that, because the rapid pace of change ushered in by the Second World War continued after it, the Meteor “became obsolete in the 1950s as jet fighters such as the Hawker Hunter were developed with higher-performance swept wings as opposed to the Meteor’s conventional straight wings”.

Unfortunately, the Hunter would not arrive until after the Korean War, leaving the impressive swept-wing Russian MiG 15 to be countered largely by the American swept-wing F-86 Sabre. The Meteor was used during the conflict in a less important role, though by the Australians rather than the RAF.

However, the British would soon be at the cutting-edge of aviation design again, with the Harrier ‘Jump Jet’.

Illustration: Gloster Meteor F.8s (image: Airfix)

Airfix is a registered trademark of Hornby Hobbies Ltd, and use of the illustrations has been kindly permitted by Hornby Hobbies Ltd © 2018

Aircraft

Gloster Meteor (F.8)

Entered Operational Service

19441

Retired by the RAF

19862

Description

The RAF’s first jet aircraft, it was a fighter that entered service during the Second World War.

Quantity Built

3,8753

Weapon System(s)

X4 Hispano 20mm cannons and between 4 and 8 rockets

Engine

X2 3,500 lb Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 turbojets

Wingspan

37ft 2in

Max. Weight

15,700lb

Top Speed

598mph

Range/Endurance

600miles

Footnotes

Date of entry given for first model
Not necessarily the F.8—the last Meteors in the RAF were display aircraft
All models, not just the F.8

Sources

BAE Systems, Air Ministry ‘Meteor F Mk. 8 Aircraft: General and Technical Information’ and ‘Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918’ by Owen Thetford (with special thanks to Gordon Leith at the Royal Air Force Museum).

Avro Lancaster

The most well-known British heavy bomber of World War 2, the Lancaster’s claim to fame was Operation Chastise, otherwise known as the ‘Dambusters’ raid on Germany’s Ruhr Valley in 1943. The audacious mission required the Lancasters of 617 Squadron to drop ‘bouncing bombs’ that skipped across water before breaching the Ruhr’s dams and flooding the surrounding countryside, sending the aircraft into the history books.

According to the Avro Heritage Museum, the very first Lancaster bomber was delivered to the RAF’s 44 Squadron at Waddington on Christmas Eve, 1941. The aircraft would commence operations in March the following year. The first mission was a minelaying operation in the Heligoland Bight (a bay off northern Germany), which was followed by a bombing run over Essen a week later.

Although its maximum weight is listed as having been 68,000 pounds, this is an average. In reality, the weight-bearing capacity of the aircraft increased from 60,000 pounds in 1942 to 72,000 by 1945.

The aircraft could reach a top speed of 287 miles per hour at 11,000 feet and 260 mph at 20,000 feet. This may seem counter-intuitive and, indeed, up to a point, jet aircraft increase their speed at higher altitudes because thinner air means less resistance. But propeller engines like those on the Lancaster work a little bit differently, effectively dragging the plane through the air. Thus, the heavier air at lower altitudes was easier for these engines to get hold of, improving their performance and increasing their speed.

The engines themselves were all Merlins. Chief Designer Roy Chadwick improved on the earlier Avro Manchester and its two engines by increasing the wing span and incorporating four. An uphill battle with bureaucracy ensued as Merlins were needed for fighter aircraft - but Chadwick won and got his engines.

The Mark I Lancasters had four RR Merlins at 1,280 horsepower, increasing to 1,650 horsepower out of four Bristol Hercules engines in the Mark 2s.

Because of the way armaments were arrayed, British Lancasters and American Flying Fortresses ended up complementing each other rather well. The American B-17s carried out daylight raids – with 13 machine guns in eight different places they were well-suited to fending off German fighters.

Lancasters, by contrast, only had their machine guns in three places and were therefore used more often for night bombing; the darkness making it harder for German fighters to find and attack them.

But the Lancaster’s advantage lay in the fact that it could haul a far heavier bomb load. B-17s could typically carry around 5,000 pounds of bombs, whereas Lancasters carried 7 or 8,000, then 12,000 and eventually the truly colossal 22,000-pound Grand Slam Earthquake bomb.

Illustration: An Avro Lancaster taking part in the ‘Dambusters’ raid (image: Airfix)

Airfix is a registered trademark of Hornby Hobbies Ltd, and use of the illustrations has been kindly permitted by Hornby Hobbies Ltd © 2018

Aircraft

Avro Lancaster (Mk. 1)

Entered Operational Service

1942

Retired by the RAF

19561

Description

Quantity Built

7,3772

Weapon System(s)

X8 .303-in Browning machine guns in x3 turrets and bomb load of up to 22,000 lb

Engine

X4 Rolls-Royce Merlin XX V12 1,280 horse-power engines

Wingspan

102ft

Max. Weight

68,000lb

Top Speed

287mph3

Range/Endurance

2,530miles4

Footnotes

Retired by the RAF
All models, not just Mark I
Speed at a weight of 63,000 lb
Range given for a bomb load of 7,000 lb

Sources

BAE Systems (special thanks to the Avro Heritage Museum for fact checking and additional stats).

Avro Vulcan

A jet-powered heavy bomber crewed by five and notable for its delta-wing design, the Vulcan was the delivery mode for Britain’s nuclear deterrent for much of its service life.

“The Vulcan is probably the most recognized of all RAF aircraft from the Cold War.”

So says Ian Proctor in ‘Images of War: The Royal Air Force in the Cold War 1950 – 1970’. He continues with an overview of the aircraft, one of three types of ‘V bombers’ that made up the UK’s nuclear air capacity during the 50s and 60s, the other two being the Valiant and Victor:

“Produced in greater numbers than the Valiant and Victor; forty five (Vulcan) B.Is were produced between February 1957 and March 1959. Even as the last Vulcan B.I became operational, the improved B.2 was well into production, with 89 being built, the first entering service with 230 OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) in August 1960. This variant had the highest performance of all the V-bombers with a maximum speed of Mach 0.98 (746mph) and a ceiling of 60,000 ft.”

Again, even into the Cold War, figures for ‘maximum’ speed vary. BAE and the Avro Heritage Museum, referencing the Hayes manual, list a top speed of 644 and 645 miles per hour, and 528 at sea level.

Again, though, those with operational experience of the aircraft suggest that faster speeds were possible, even with the truly giant Vulcan.

One man who served on a Vulcan bomber was former RAF wireless operator Geoff Bainbridge, during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

He was also in the front seat of history when his team put the Vulcan through its paces during intensive flying trials.

As he told the BBC, these saw the aircraft break through the sound barrier (Mach 1, or 760 mph):

“We broke the sound barrier… way off the Scilly Isles so we didn’t break any glass… An inexperienced pilot could lose control, but in experienced hands you don’t go beyond that.”

It’s fortunate that circumstances transpired so that no experienced hands were ever required to fly and deploy its nuclear payload, but the Vulcan did see action, using conventional bombs during the Falklands War.

Illustration: A Vulcan bomber flies just above sea level (image: Corgi © Corgi is a registered trademark of Hornby Hobbies Ltd.)

Aircraft

Avro Vulcan (B.2)

Entered Operational Service

19561

Final Model Retired

19842

Description

A jet-powered heavy bomber crewed by five and notable for its delta-wing design, the Vulcan was the delivery mode for Britain’s nuclear deterrent for much of its service life.

Quantity Built

1353

Weapon System(s)

Nuclear or conventional bombs

Engine

X4 201 or 301 Bristol Siddeley-Olympus engines4

Wingspan

111ft

Max. Weight

250,000lb

Top Speed

644mph

Range/Endurance

4,603miles

Footnotes

Date of entry given for first model
Not necessarily the B.2
All aircraft, not just the B.2
Engines in the B.1 were Bristol Olympus. After a merger with Armstrong Siddeley in 1959, the B.2's engines became Bristol Siddeley Olympus

Sources

BAE Systems, ‘Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918’ by Owen Thetford (with special thanks to Gordon Leith at the Royal Air Force Museum)

Hawker Siddeley BAe Harrier

Famous for its ability to do both conventional and vertical take offs and landings, the Harrier (or ‘Jump Jet’) was a versatile, single-seat aircraft.

“In July 1969 I Squadron, based at RAF Wittering, reequipped with the Harrier… It became the world’s first operational squadron to fly a vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft. The Harrier replaced the last remaining Hunter FGA.9s operating in the ground-attack role.”

Author Ian Proctor

As Proctor points out, essentially, just as the Hawker Hunter had rapidly outclassed the Gloster Meteor, now the Hawker Siddeley BAe Harrier had outclassed the Hunter. Its unique vertical landing and take-off capability would keep it in service for over four decades, with its successor in vertical-landing capability, the F-35, due to enter service with the Royal Navy and RAF the coming years.

But in the meantime, BAE is still correct in saying:

“When the Hawker P.1127 (Harrier) prototype XP831 made its first tethered ‘hovering flight’ on October 21st 1960, it started a revolution in British military aviation technology that is yet to be matched.”

The Harrier also performed extremely well at conventional flight, showing during the 1969 Daily Mail Transatlantic Air Race that it could get from London to Manhattan in just over six hours.

For a more recent connection with the US, and with popular culture, some may recall that the Harrier played a prominent role in the James Cameron film ‘True Lies’.

Towards the end of the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Harry Tasker borrows a US Marine Harrier to rescue his daughter from terrorists.

In reality, the job of fighting terrorists in recent years is a role performed more often by the Tornado.

Illustration: The Royal Navy used Harriers as well as the RAF – shown here are two RN Harriers in action during the Falklands War (image from ‘Sea Harrier FRS 1 vs Mirage III/Dagger: South Atlantic 1982’ by Doug Dildy and Pablo Calcaterra © Osprey Publishing, part of Bloomsbury Publishing)

Aircraft

Hawker Siddeley BAe Harrier (GR3)

Entered Operational Service

19691

Retired by the RAF

20112

Description

Famous for its ability to do both conventional and vertical take offs and landings, the Harrier (or ‘Jump-Jet’) was a versatile single-seat aircraft.

Quantity Built

1,2563

Weapon System(s)

A pair of 30mm ADEN cannons; x3 1,000 lb bombs; x19 68mm rockets on each side

Engine

A Rolls-Royce Pegasus 103 turbofan with x4 swivel nozzle 21,500 Ibf/95.6 kN

Wingspan

25ft 3in

Max. Weight

25,200lb

Top Speed

730mph

Range/Endurance

115miles

Footnotes

Date of entry given for first model
Later models, not the GR3
All models, not just the GR3

Sources

BAE Systems, Harrier.org.uk, ‘Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 1985-86’ (with special thanks to Gordon Leith at the Royal Air Force Museum)

Panavia Tornado

A two-seat switch-wing (or VG, variable-geometry wing) aircraft, the Tornado has served in a range of roles, as fighter and ground-attack aircraft.

Impressive as it is, the Harrier is not the only one of the Forces Network’s top 10 aircraft to have served the RAF for around four decades. The Panavia Tornado has likewise proved reliable, versatile and highly capable during its long service.

And as the BBC reports, this long service history is an innate part of its makeup:

“It… has a rather retro feel, as befits a four-decade-old model approaching the end of its time in service. ‘It’s still full of the 1980s dials,’ says [pilot Jas] Hawker. There isn’t the array of screens you might see in more modern fighters, he adds.”

The long lifespan is also a reason for the versatility, it having taken on new roles over the years:

“The jet is very much a product of its era. The Panavia Tornado was developed jointly by the UK, Germany and Italy to fly low and fast, avoiding Soviet air defences. Over time its bombing capacity was developed.”

Developed and then renewed in recent years by then-Prime Minister David Cameron, the jet was kept in its role bombing ISIS from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for longer than originally planned.

In short, it can be difficult to get rid of a good aircraft. Again, pilot Jes Hawker pointed out its many strengths to the BBC:

“’It’s actually quite easy to fly’… It’s computerised and has hydro-mechanical flight controls. The variable-sweep wings, which allow the pilot to configure the wings according to flying speed, are swept backwards and forwards manually. The two-seat cockpit is fairly spacious in comparison with other combat aircraft, although crews can be strapped to their seats for up to eight hours at a time during missions.”

IDS, or the interdictor/strike version of the Tornado, is the version that has been used to bomb ISIS. These are derived from the original 228 GR1s that debuted in 1982 and then the 142 GR4s upgraded from them between 1997 and 2003.

The GR1 and GR4As were reconnaissance versions, while the 'B' variant was designated for anti-shipping and the F3 for air defence against Russian bombers.

Aircraft

Panavia Tornado (GR4)

Entered Operational Service

19821

Retired by the RAF

Planned 2019

Description

A two-seat switch-wing (or VG, variable geometry, wing) aircraft, the Tornado has served in a range of roles, as fighter and ground-attack aircraft.

Quantity Built

9922

Weapon System(s)

Paveway IV bombs and Brimstone missiles; 27mm machine gun

Engine

X2 RB199 MK103 turbofan engines by Rolls-Royce

Wingspan

28ft1in - 45ft7.5in

Max. Weight

61,620lb

Top Speed

1.3mach / 997.45mph

Range/Endurance

2,430miles

Footnotes

Date of entry given for first model
All Tornados, not just the GR.4

Sources

raf.mod.uk, BAE Systems, ‘Royal Air Force Aircraft & Weapons’ and ‘Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 1985-86’ (with special thanks to Gordon Leith at the Royal Air Force Museum and the RAF's Air Historical Branch)

Eurofighter Typhoon

A single-seater that was initially an air-to-air fighter, the Typhoon is now a multi-role aircraft.

The RAF’s ‘Aircraft and Weapons’ magazine sums up the impressive capabilities of the Typhoon this way:

“The Typhoon FGR.Mk 4 is a highly capable and extremely agile fourth-generation multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed for the full spectrum of air operations, including air policing, peace support and high-intensity conflict. Initially deployed in the air-to-air role as the Typhoon F.Mk.2, the aircraft now has a potent, precision multi-role capability as the FGR4.”

This has been the result of efforts by designers, engineers and workers in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and, initially, France (until they dropped out of the project).

National Geographic’s program ‘Megafactories – Eurofighter Typhoon’ illustrates just how much of an engineering challenge the program must have been:

“Kilometres of wires, thousands of parts, (the Eurofighter is a) super-jet model kit with different parts made across four factories, in four countries, all speaking different languages. And it all has to fit together, and fly.”

This enormous challenge was mounted to meet the enormous demand, to… “design the world’s best fighter, able to fly twice the speed of sound, outmanoeuvre anything in the sky and pack enough firepower to wipe out a small air force.”

What’s more, the FGR4 version of the Eurofighter has been designed to reach more than three quarters of its maximum speed in less than two and a half minutes from the moment its brakes are released on the runway.

Optimum altitude for speed is 35,000 feet, and the aircraft has an operational ceiling of 55,000 feet.

Vouching for its terrific abilities, European pilots have said:

“When I flew a Eurofighter for the first time, it was immediately love at first sight. It is a fantastic airplane, probably the best I’ve ever flown.”

“Typhoon is a real delight to fly – I mean a really stunning performance that will take anyone’s breath away.”

“It’s the best thing that’s out there and obviously it’s really fun to fly it.”

“When you jump into this awesome aircraft… it’s amazing the power it has…”

And National Geographic sums things up by saying that:

“The Typhoon is an engineering masterpiece, precisely tooled, engaged in impossible odds. It may be the most complicated model aircraft ever built but everyone agrees it’s a master in the air.”

Illustration: Eurofighter Typhoons fly at high speed and at low level (image: Airfix)

Airfix is a registered trademark of Hornby Hobbies Ltd, and use of the illustrations has been kindly permitted by Hornby Hobbies Ltd © 2018

A final thank you to Graham Pitchfork as well as to Stuart Hadaway at the RAF’s Air Historical Branch for assisting with overall fact checking for this project.

Cover image courtesy of Airfix.

Airfix is a registered trademark of Hornby Hobbies Ltd and use of the illustrations in this article has been kindly permitted by Hornby Hobbies Ltd © 2018.