Aircraft of the RAF from WWI to the early jets
World War One
Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
Top speed: 118mph
Ceiling: 19,000ft
Armament: 2 vickers machine guns
World War Two
Spitfire
The Spitfire was the only second world war aircraft to be in production for the whole duration of the war. Later models were almost completly different aircraft.
Max Speed (Mk1a):362 mph
Ceiling: 31,900 ft
Armament: 8 .303 machine guns
Hurricane
The Hurricane was the less famous cousin of the Spitfire. Whereas the Spitfire used a stressed metal construction, the Hurricane used a simplier wood and canvass construction.
Max Speed: 325 mph
Ceiling: 35,000ft
Armament: 8 .303 machine guns
Lancaster
The lancaster was a development of the unsucessful Manchester.
Max Speed: 280 mph
Ceiling: 23,500ft
Armament: 8 .303 machine guns and 14,000lb of bombs
Early Jets
Meteor Night Fighter
The RAF's first jet fighter. Compare the figures below to the Spitfire above.
Max Speed: 587 mph
Ceiling: 40,000 ft
Armament: 4 cannon
Hawker Hunter
Max Speed: (for F Mk 6) 715 mph
Ceiling: 51, 500ft
Armament: 4 aden 30mm cannon, provision for 2 1,000lb bombs under the wings
Javelin
Gloster Javelin, the first all weather day/night figter
Max Speed: 710mph
Ceiling 52,800ft
Armament: 2x30mm cannon and 4x Firestreak heat seeking air to air missiles
Canberra
Canberra version shown is one of the RAF's PR9s.
Max Speed: 547mph
Ceiling: 48,000ft
Armament: PR9 - None, B2 variant 6,000lb of bombs