| Name |
Description |
#books |
| Airspeed Horsa Glider |
A British WW2 troop-carrying glider capable of accommodating up to 30 fully equipped troops and manufactured by Airspeed Limited. It was named after Horsa, the legendary 5th-century conqueror of southern Britain. | 1 |
| Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle |
A British WW2 twin-engine transport aircraft developed by Armstrong Whitworth and produced by a subsidiary of the Gloster Aircraft Company. It was used primarily for general and special transport duties, paratroop transport and glider towing, in addition to other secondary duties. | 2 |
| Armstrong Whitworth Whitley |
A British twin-engine, front line medium bomber in service at the outbreak of WW2. It remained an integral part of the early British bomber offensive until the introduction of the four-engined heavy bombers and was also used for maritime reconnaissance with Coastal Command. | 4 |
| Avro 504 |
A British WW1 biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by many others. It was the most produced aircraft of any kind that served in any military capacity during WW1 with more than 10,000 being built from 1913 until production ended in 1932. | 1 |
| Avro Anson |
A British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft that served with the RAF, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces before, during, and after WW2. It was developed for reconnaissance, but then found to be suitable as a aircrew trainer. | 3 |
| Avro Lancaster |
A British four-engined WW2 heavy bomber that first saw active service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942. It became the main heavy bomber used by the RAF, overshadowing its close contemporaries the Halifax and Stirling. It was modified to carry the Barnes Wallis 'Bouncing bomb' for the attack on Germany’s Ruhr Valley dams. | 6 |
| Avro Manchester |
A British twin-engine medium bomber developed and manufactured by the Avro aircraft company in the UK. It was the forerunner of the more successful four-engined Avro Lancaster. It entered squadron service in November 1940. | 1 |
| Blackburn Skua |
A carrier-based two-seater, low-wing, single-radial engine aircraft operated by the British Fleet Air Arm. It was designed in the mid-1930s, combining the functions of a dive bomber and fighter and saw service in the early part of WW2. | 1 |
| Boulton Paul Defiant |
A British 'turret fighter' (without any forward-firing guns) interceptor aircraft that served with the RAF during WW2. An effective bomber–destroyer, but the lack of forward armament proved to be a major weakness in daylight combat. Its potential was realized when it switched to night combat. | 3 |
| Bristol Beaufighter |
A multi-role aircraft developed during WW2 by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the UK. A heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort bomber, it was a versatile aircraft used as a night fighter, and later in maritime strike and ground attack roles. | 3 |
| Bristol Beaufort |
A British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. They were used as torpedo bombers, conventional bombers, mine-layers and later as a trainer aircraft. | 3 |
| Bristol Blenheim |
A British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively during WW2. The last variant, the Blenheim Mk V was conceived as an armoured ground attack aircraft and originally known as the Bisley. | 9 |
| Bristol Bombay |
A British troop transport aircraft which could be adapted for use as a medium bomber flown by the RAF during WW2. The Bombay’s main service was in the Middle East, particularly with 216 Squadron, which operated most of the Bombays built at some stage. | 1 |
| Bristol Hercules Engine |
A 14-cylinder two-row radial aircraft engine produced by the Bristol Engine Company starting in 1939. It was designed by Sir Roy Fedden and the most numerous of their single sleeve valve designs, powering many aircraft in the middle WW2 timeframe. | 1 |
| de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth |
A 1930s biplane designed and operated by the RAF and others as a primary trainer. Many other nations used the Tiger Moth in both military and civil applications. | 4 |
| de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito |
A British multi-role combat aircraft with a two-man crew that served during and after WW2. It was one of few front-line aircraft constructed almost entirely of wood. Nicknamed 'The Wooden Wonder', it was also known as the 'Mossie' by its crews. | 4 |
| Fairey Albacore |
A British single-engine carrier-borne bi-plane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during WW2. | 1 |
| Fairey Fulmar |
A British carrier-borne fighter aircraft built by Fairey Aviation that served with the Fleet Air Arm during WW2. It was a reliable, sturdy aircraft with long range and an effective armament of eight machine guns. | 2 |
| Fairey Swordfish |
A biplane torpedo bomber used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during WW2 where it was an outdated design, but remained in service until 1945. It was a fleet attack aircraft and later used as an anti-submarine and training craft. | 3 |
| General Aircraft Hamilcar Glider |
A large British WW2 military glider built by General Aircraft Ltd designed to carry heavy cargo, such as the Tetrarch or Locust light tank. Their slow speed and large size made them easy targets for anti-aircraft fire. A total of 344 had been built when production ended in 1946. | 1 |
| General Aircraft Hotspur Glider |
A British WW2 military glider built by General Aircraft Ltd for use by the newly established airborne establishment. It became the basic trainer for the glider schools due to its compact design. It was named 'Hotspur' after Sir Henry Percy of the early Anglo-Scottish wars. | 3 |
| Gloster Gladiator |
A British-built biplane fighter. It was used during the late 1930s and was the RAFs last biplane fighter, being rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was being introduced. | 1 |
| Handley Page Halifax |
One of the four-engined heavy bombers that the Royal Air Force used during WW2. The most numerous Halifax variant was the B Mk III of which 2,091 were built. | 5 |
| Handley Page HP.52 Hampden |
A British twin-engine medium bomber of the RAF serving in WW2 until 1942. It was the newest of the three medium bombers and known as the 'Flying Suitcase' because of its cramped crew conditions. | 4 |
| Hawker Hector |
A British biplane used as a liaison or army co-operation aircraft during the late 1930s. It served with the Royal Air Force and briefly in the Battle of France in May 1940. Some aircraft were later sold to Ireland. It was named after 'prince Hector' the Trojan. | 1 |
| Hawker Hurricane |
A British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and mainly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. It accounted for 60% of the RAF’s air victories in the Battle of Britain. | 13 |
| Hawker Typhoon |
A British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft, intended to be a medium–high altitude interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane. | 2 |
| Miles Master |
A British two-seat monoplane advanced trainer designed and built by aviation company Miles Aircraft Ltd. It was indroduced into the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm during WW2. It functioned as an excellent introduction to the high performance British fighter aircraft of the day: the Spitfire and Hurricane. Many Masters were also modified to enable their use as glider tows. | 1 |
| Rolls-Royce Merlin |
A British liquid-cooled piston aero engine, one of the most successful aircraft engines of the WW2 era. The first aircraft to enter service with this engine were the Fairey Battle, Hawker Hurricane, and Supermarine Spitfire. | 3 |
| Short S.25 Sunderland |
A British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the RAF by Short Brothers. It was involved in countering the threat posed by German U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic. | 7 |
| Short Stirling |
The first four-engined British heavy bomber of WW2. It was ordered for the RAF and entered service in early 1941 but had a relatively brief career as a bomber, being relegated to second line duties from late 1943. | 4 |
| Supermarine Spitfire |
A British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries during and after WW2. It was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft. During the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire was perceived by the public to be 'the' RAF fighter. | 11 |
| Vickers Wellington |
A British twin-engined, long range medium bomber designed by Vickers-Armstrongs. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of WW2. | 9 |
| Westland Lysander ('Lizzie') |
A British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during WW2. It’s short-field performance made it useful for clandestine missions using small, improvised airstrips behind enemy lines. | 1 |
| Westland Whirlwind |
A British twin-engined heavy fighter developed by Westland Aircraft. A contemporary of the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, it was the first single-seat, twin-engined, cannon-armed fighter of the Royal Air Force. | 1 |
