Many types have served in the Royal Air Force since it was formed in 1918 by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Here can be found a list of RAF aircraft, those types that have served and been retired by the RAF, and also those types that are currently in service. The aircraft are listed in alphabetic order of their RAF type name, and then in mark order within that type.
Regular Service with the RAF
- Bell Airacobra I - USA - single engine, piston - interceptor
- Fairey Albacore - UK
- Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle I, II, V, VI - UK
- Avro Aldershot III - UK
- Hawker Siddeley Andover C1, CC2, E3 - UK
- Avro Anson I, X, C11, XII, C19, T21 - UK
- Armstrong Whitworth Argosy C1, E1 - UK
- Fairchild Argus - UK
- Armstrong Whitworth Atlas - UK
- Hawker Audax - UK
- British Taylorcraft Auster I, III, IV, V, AOP 6, AOP 9 - UK
- Avro 504 - UK
- BAe 146 CC2 - UK
- Boulton Paul Balliol T2 - UK
- Martin Baltimore I, II, III, IV, V - UK
- Beagle Basset CC 1 UK
- Fairey Battle I - UK
- Bristol Beaufighter I, II, VI, X, XI
- Bristol Beaufort I, II
- Short Belfast C1 - UK
- Westland Belvedere - UK
- Blackburn Beverley - UK
- Avro Bison - UK
- Bristol Blenheim I, IV, V - UK
- Handley Page Bombay - UK
- Douglas Boston I, II, III, III (Turbinlite), IV, V
- Blackburn Botha I
- Bristol Brigand B1, Met 3
- Bristol F2b Fighter
- Bristol Britannia C1, S2
- Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S2
- Brewster Buffalo I
- Scottish Aviation Bulldog II (modern trainer)
- Bristol Bulldog (pre-WW2 fighter)
- Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
- Sopwith Camel
- English Electric Canberra B2, PR3, T4, B6, PR7, B(I)8, PR9, T11, B15, E15, B16, T17, TT18, T19
- Consolidated Catalina I, II, III, IV - USA
- Boeing-Vertol Chinook HC1, HC2, HC2A, HC3 - twin rotor heavy lift helicopter
- De Havilland Chipmunk T10
- De Havilland Comet (transport) C2, C2(RC), C4
- Douglas Dakota - USA - Twin engine, piston - transport
- Boulton Paul Defiant I, II, III
- Hawker Demon
- De Havilland Devon C1, C2
- Sopwith Dolphin
- De Havilland Dominie (DH 125)
- Lockheed Electra - USA - Four engine, turbine - transport
- Armstrong Whitworth AW27 Ensign
- Fairey III A, B, C, D, F
- Boeing Fortress I, II - USA - Four engine, piston - bomber
- Hawker Fury I, II
- Gloster Gamecock I
- Westland/Aerospatiale Gazelle HCC4
- Gloster Gauntlet I, II
- Gloster Gladiator I, II
- Folland Gnat T1
- Bell Griffin HT1, HAR2 - USA
- Handley Page Halifax I, II, III, V, VI, VII, A7, VIII, A9
- Handley Page Hampden
- Hawker Hardy
- Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR1, GR3 - UK
- Harrier GR5, GR7, GR7A, GR9, GR9A, T10
- Handley Page Harrow I, II
- Hawker Hart
- North American Harvard T2 - USA
- Handley Page Hastings C1, C2, C4, Met 1
- Douglas (A 20) Havoc I, II - USA
- British Aerospace Hawk T1, T1A, T1W
- Hawker Hector
- Lockheed Hercules C1, C3, C4, C5 - US - Four engine, turbine, transport
- Hawker Hind
- De Havilland Hornet F1, F3
- Hawker Horsley
- Lockheed Hudson I, II, III, IV, V, VI - USA
- Hawker Hunter F1, F2, F4, F5, F6, FGA9, FR9
- Hawker Hurricane I, II, IV
- SEPECAT Jaguar GR1, GR1A, GR1B, GR3, GR3A, T4
- Gloster Javelin FAW1-FAW9
- BAC Jet Provost
- Avro Lancaster I, PR1, II, III, GR, ASR3, VI, VII, B7, X
- Consolidated Liberator I-IX - USA - Four engine, piston - bomber
- English Electric Lightning F1, F1A, F2, F2A, F3, F6
- Avro Lincoln B2
- Westland Lysander I, II, III
- Avro Manchester I
- Martin Marauder I, II, III - USA
- European Helicopter Industries Merlin HC3
- Gloster Meteor I, III, F3, F4, F8, FR9, PR10, NF11-NF14
- North American Mitchell II, III - USA
- De Havilland Mosquito II-XXXVI - UK - Twin engine, piston
- North American Mustang I, II, III, IV - USA
- BAe Nimrod MR1, MR2, R1, AEW3 - Four engine jet maritime patrol
- Airspeed Oxford
- McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG1, FGR2, F-4J[UK] - USA
- Westland/Aerospatiale Puma HC1
- Sopwith Pup
- North American F-86 Sabre F4 - USA
- Westland Sea King HAR3, HAR3A
- Sentry AEW1 (AWACS) - USA - Boeing
- Avro Shackleton MR1, MR2, AEW2, MR3
- Supermarine Spitfire C, D, I-XXII - UK - Single engine, piston - pursuit
- Shorts Stirling I, III, IV, V
- Shorts Sunderland I, II, III, V, GR5
- Fairey Swordfish I, III
- Hawker Tempest II, F2, V, VI, F6
- Republic Thunderbolt I, II - USA
- De Havilland Tiger Moth
- Curtiss Tomahawk I, II - USA
- Panavia Tornado GR1, GR1A, GR1B, GR4, GR4A, F2, F3
- Lockheed Tristar C1, KC1, C2, C2A - USA
- Hawker Typhoon I
- Eurofighter Typhoon T1
- Vickers Valiant B1, B1(K), B(PR)1, B(PR)K1
- De Havilland Vampire F1, F3, FB5, FB9, NF 10
- Vickers VC-10 C1, C1(K), K2, K3, K4 - UK
- de Havilland Venom FB1, NF2, NF3, FB4
- Lockheed Ventura I, II, V - USA
- Handley Page Victor B1, B1A, K1, K1A, B2, B2R, B2(SR), K2
- Vickers Vimy
- Vickers Virginia II-X
- Avro Vulcan B1, B1A, B2, B2A, B2(MAA), B2(K)
- Vickers Wellington I, II, III, IV, VI, VIII, X, XI, XIII, XIV, XVI
- Westland Wessex HC2, HAR2, HCC4, HU5C
- Westland Whirlwind (fixed wing) I
- Westland Whirlwind (rotary wing) HAR2, HAR4, HAR10, HCC12
- Armstrong Whitworth Whitley I, II, III, IV, V, VII
- Avro York C1
Captured or Interned
Captured or interned examples of the following aircraft were at one time flown by the RAF:
- Dornier Do22
- Fokker F.XXII
- Fokker T.VIIIw/G
- Junkers Ju52
- Messerschmitt Bf108
- Messerschmitt Bf 109 F
- Messerschmitt Bf 110C
Pre-RAF
The following types were flown by the RFC or RNAS but phased out before the creation of the RAF:
- Avro Type E, Es
- BE1, BE2 (all variants through BE2g), BE3, BE4, BE8, BE12
- Blériot XI, XXI, Parasol
- Bristol Boxkite, M1B, M1C
- DH 1A, DH 2
- Farman F40, Henry Farman III, F20, F27
- Armstrong Whitworth FK3, FK8
- HP O/100, O/400, V/1500
- Nieuport 11, 12, 16, 17, 20, 23, 24, 27
- RE1, RE5, RE7
- SE2, SE2a, SE5
- Short 184, 320, Bomber
- Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter, Baby, Tabloid, Triplane
- Vickers FB 5, FB 9, FB19 MkII
Training Gliders
- Kirby Cadet
- Grasshopper Primary Glider
- Slingsby T21 Sedburgh
- Grob Tutor T1