No. 23 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 23 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force
. Until October 2009, it operated the Boeing Sentry AEW1
Airborne Warning And Control System
(AWACS) aircraft from RAF Waddington
, Lincolnshire
.
was formed at Fort Grange, Gosport
on 1 September 1915, commanded by Louis Strange
and equipped with a mixture of types. A detachment of Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2cs was deployed to Sutton's Farm
to act as night fighters to oppose raids by German Zeppelin
s, but no successful interceptions resulted. The squadron moved to France on 16 March 1916 flying FE2b two-seat pusher
fighters. The squadron used the FE2b on close-escort duties and to fly standing patrols to engage hostile aircraft wherever they could be found, helping to establish air superiority in the build-up to the Battle of the Somme.
By the end of the year the "Fee" was obsolete, and the Squadron started to received Spad S.VII
single-seat fighters in February 1917, with its last F.E.2s in April 1917. 23 Squadron flew its SPADs both on offensive fighter patrols over the front and low-level strafing
attacks against German troops. In December 1917 it replaced its SPAD S.VII with the more powerful and heavier armed Spad S.XIII
. The squadron converted to Sopwith Dolphins in April 1918 until it disbanded just after the war on 31 December 1919. It numbered 19 aces among its ranks during the war, including:
William Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick, DSO
, MC;
Douglas U. McGregor
, MC;
James Pearson
, DFC;
Clive W. Warman
, DSO, MC;
Frederick Gibbs, MC;
Conn Standish O'Grady
, MC;
Herbert Drewitt
, MC, AFC
;
James Fitz-Morris, MC;
Harold Albert White
, DFC;
Alfred Edwin McKay
, MC;
Harry Compton
, DFC; and
Arthur Bradfield Fairclough
, MC.
with the Sopwith Snipe
, then used other biplane fighters.
In 1938 it became a night-fighter squadron using the Bristol Blenheim
. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, these were replaced by the Douglas Havoc and later the de Havilland Mosquito
. Between 1942 and 1944 the squadron was based on Malta
. It then returned to England and served as an intruder squadron, targeting German night fighters, over western Europe. 23 Sqn was disbanded, following the war's end, in September 1945.
The squadron was reformed on 1 September 1946 as a night fighter squadron operating the de Havilland Mosquito
. It received jet aircraft in the form of de Havilland Vampire
NF 10s in 1953, replacing them with Venoms
in June 1954.
In 1957 the squadron converted to the Gloster Javelin
all-weather fighter, beginning a long period operating in the air defence role. The squadron has a strong heritage in the air defence role, operating Gloster Javelins, Lightning
s, Phantom
s and Tornado F3s. The squadron first acquired Phantoms on 1 November 1975 at RAF Coningsby
before moving to RAF Wattisham
for just under 10 years. Then in October 1983 the squadron deployed to Stanley
airfield, Falkland Islands
after their recapture from Argentina
, arriving there on 1 November. They remained here until 31 October 1988 when its duty was assumed by 1435 Flt
. The squadron then reformed on 1 November 1988 at RAF Leeming
with the Panavia Tornado which it operated until 26 February 1994, when the unit was disbanded.
The squadron assumed the Airborne Early Warning role upon reformation in April 1996, sharing the RAF's Sentry AEW1 fleet with No. 8 Squadron. The squadron disbanded on 2 October 2009, amalgamating with No 8 Squadron.
Douglas U. McGregor,
James William Pearson
,
Clive W. Warman
,
Frederick J. Gibbs
,
Conn Standish O'Grady
,
Herbert Drewitt
,
James Fitz-Morris,
Harold Albert White
,
Alfred Edwin McKay
,
Harry Compton
, and
Arthur Bradfield Fairclough
.
Douglas Bader
was a member of 23 Squadron when he crashed carrying out low level aerobatics
, losing his legs in the process. He went on to become one of the highest scoring aces
of the RAF in World War II
.
Wing Commander A J 'Red' Owen DFC and Bar, AFC, DFM, was 23 Squadron's commanding officer between May 1962 and October 1964. He was one of the RAFs most successful night fighter pilots during World War II, credited with destroying at least 15 enemy aircraft.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Until October 2009, it operated the Boeing Sentry AEW1
E-3 Sentry
The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...
Airborne Warning And Control System
Airborne Warning And Control System
Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS, may refer to:* E-3 Sentry, the aircraft developed under the USAF's "Airborne Warning and Control System" program...
(AWACS) aircraft from RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
.
First World War
No. 23 Squadron of the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
was formed at Fort Grange, Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
on 1 September 1915, commanded by Louis Strange
Louis Strange
Louis Arbon Strange DSO OBE MC DFC was an early English aviator, World War I and World War II airman.- Early life :Louis Strange was born in Dorset and was educated at St Edward's School Oxford, joining the school's contingent of the Dorset Yeomanry.Strange spent his childhood at Tarrant Keynstone...
and equipped with a mixture of types. A detachment of Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2cs was deployed to Sutton's Farm
RAF Hornchurch
RAF Hornchurch was an airfield in the south of Hornchurch in what is now the London Borough of Havering. Known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, it occupied of the farm of the same name and was situated east north-east of Charing Cross...
to act as night fighters to oppose raids by German Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s, but no successful interceptions resulted. The squadron moved to France on 16 March 1916 flying FE2b two-seat pusher
Pusher configuration
In a craft with a pusher configuration the propeller are mounted behind their respective engine. According to Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind engine so that drive shaft is in compression...
fighters. The squadron used the FE2b on close-escort duties and to fly standing patrols to engage hostile aircraft wherever they could be found, helping to establish air superiority in the build-up to the Battle of the Somme.
By the end of the year the "Fee" was obsolete, and the Squadron started to received Spad S.VII
SPAD S.VII
The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugged aircraft with good climbing and diving characteristics...
single-seat fighters in February 1917, with its last F.E.2s in April 1917. 23 Squadron flew its SPADs both on offensive fighter patrols over the front and low-level strafing
Strafing
Strafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. This means, that although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied with bombing or rocket fire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the...
attacks against German troops. In December 1917 it replaced its SPAD S.VII with the more powerful and heavier armed Spad S.XIII
SPAD S.XIII
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps . London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.* Sharpe, Michael. Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes. London: Friedman/Fairfax Books, 2000. ISBN 1-58663-300-7....
. The squadron converted to Sopwith Dolphins in April 1918 until it disbanded just after the war on 31 December 1919. It numbered 19 aces among its ranks during the war, including:
William Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC;
Douglas U. McGregor
Douglas McGregor (aviator)
Captain Douglas Urquhart McGregor was a Canadian World War I flying ace credited with 12 official aerial victories.-Early life:Douglas Urquhart McGregor was the son of Doctor John O. McGregor. The younger McGregor attended McGill University and played on their Redmen football team during the early...
, MC;
James Pearson
James Pearson
James Pearson VC was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, DFC;
Clive W. Warman
Clive W. Warman
Captain Clive Wilson Warman was a World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories. He was the sole American winner of the British Distinguished Service Order.-World War I:...
, DSO, MC;
Frederick Gibbs, MC;
Conn Standish O'Grady
Conn Standish O'Grady
-World War I:O'Grady served in 23 Squadron as a Spad pilot. He scored his first aerial victory on 30 April 1917, and accumulated nine wins by the end of August. He was transferred off combat duty to Home Establishment in September 1917. He won a Military Cross for his deeds circa 1 October 1917; it...
, MC;
Herbert Drewitt
Herbert Drewitt
Captain Herbert Frank Stacey Drewitt MC, AFC was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He was one of the few British aces that used French-built Spads as his weapon.-World War I service:...
, MC, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
;
James Fitz-Morris, MC;
Harold Albert White
Harold Albert White
Lieutenant Harold Albert White was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories while flying the Sopwith Dolphin.White was the son of Baptist minister Frederick T. White. The younger White emigrated to Brantford, Ontario, Canada, where he worked as an engineer. He joined 23...
, DFC;
Alfred Edwin McKay
Alfred Edwin McKay
Captain Alfred Edwin “Eddie” McKay MC was a Canadian flying ace who flew with the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War.- Civilian Life :...
, MC;
Harry Compton
Harry Compton
Lieutenant Harry Neville Compton was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.Compton originally served with the Canadian Military Engineers, transferring to the Royal Flying Corps on 14 February 1918. That summer, he was posted to No. 23 Squadron on the Western Front, to fly...
, DFC; and
Arthur Bradfield Fairclough
Arthur Bradfield Fairclough
Arthur Bradfield Fairclough MC was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 19 victories.-Military Cross:"Lt. Arthur Bradfield Fairclough, Can. M.G. Co. and R.F.C....
, MC.
Reformation
The squadron was re-formed on 1 July 1925 at RAF HenlowRAF Henlow
RAF Henlow is a Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, equidistant from Bedford, Luton and Stevenage. It houses the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the RAF Signals Museum and 616 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.- History :...
with the Sopwith Snipe
Sopwith Snipe
The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force . It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of that conflict, in late 1918.The Snipe was not a fast aircraft...
, then used other biplane fighters.
In 1938 it became a night-fighter squadron using the Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, these were replaced by the Douglas Havoc and later the de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
. Between 1942 and 1944 the squadron was based on Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. It then returned to England and served as an intruder squadron, targeting German night fighters, over western Europe. 23 Sqn was disbanded, following the war's end, in September 1945.
The squadron was reformed on 1 September 1946 as a night fighter squadron operating the de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
. It received jet aircraft in the form of de Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
NF 10s in 1953, replacing them with Venoms
De Havilland Venom
The de Havilland DH 112 Venom was a British postwar single-engined jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Vampire. It served with the Royal Air Force as a single-seat fighter-bomber and two-seat night fighter....
in June 1954.
In 1957 the squadron converted to the Gloster Javelin
Gloster Javelin
The Gloster Javelin was an "all-weather" interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s...
all-weather fighter, beginning a long period operating in the air defence role. The squadron has a strong heritage in the air defence role, operating Gloster Javelins, Lightning
English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, noted for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; Royal Air Force ...
s, Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
s and Tornado F3s. The squadron first acquired Phantoms on 1 November 1975 at RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
before moving to RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham was a Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front-line air force base...
for just under 10 years. Then in October 1983 the squadron deployed to Stanley
Stanley, Falkland Islands
Stanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
airfield, Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
after their recapture from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, arriving there on 1 November. They remained here until 31 October 1988 when its duty was assumed by 1435 Flt
No. 1435 Flight RAF
No. 1435 Flight is a Eurofighter Typhoon unit of the Royal Air Force, based at RAF Mount Pleasant, providing air defence for the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.During the Second World War, No...
. The squadron then reformed on 1 November 1988 at RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, UK.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming. The Station Commander is Group Captain Anthony Innes....
with the Panavia Tornado which it operated until 26 February 1994, when the unit was disbanded.
The squadron assumed the Airborne Early Warning role upon reformation in April 1996, sharing the RAF's Sentry AEW1 fleet with No. 8 Squadron. The squadron disbanded on 2 October 2009, amalgamating with No 8 Squadron.
Notable squadron members
Among the 19 aces that served within its ranks in World War I were William Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick,Douglas U. McGregor,
James William Pearson
James William Pearson
Captain James William Pearson was a World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories.-World War I:His combat assignment was to 23 Squadron, which was operating Spads. They re-equipped with Sopwith Dolphins, and Pearson started to score victories...
,
Clive W. Warman
Clive W. Warman
Captain Clive Wilson Warman was a World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories. He was the sole American winner of the British Distinguished Service Order.-World War I:...
,
Frederick J. Gibbs
Frederick J. Gibbs
Captain Frederick John Gibbs was a World War I flying ace credited with 11 official victories. Post-war, he went into business. During the beginning of World War II, he took the unusual step of giving up his officer's commission in favour of joining the military in the ranks.-World War I:On 10...
,
Conn Standish O'Grady
Conn Standish O'Grady
-World War I:O'Grady served in 23 Squadron as a Spad pilot. He scored his first aerial victory on 30 April 1917, and accumulated nine wins by the end of August. He was transferred off combat duty to Home Establishment in September 1917. He won a Military Cross for his deeds circa 1 October 1917; it...
,
Herbert Drewitt
Herbert Drewitt
Captain Herbert Frank Stacey Drewitt MC, AFC was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He was one of the few British aces that used French-built Spads as his weapon.-World War I service:...
,
James Fitz-Morris,
Harold Albert White
Harold Albert White
Lieutenant Harold Albert White was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories while flying the Sopwith Dolphin.White was the son of Baptist minister Frederick T. White. The younger White emigrated to Brantford, Ontario, Canada, where he worked as an engineer. He joined 23...
,
Alfred Edwin McKay
Alfred Edwin McKay
Captain Alfred Edwin “Eddie” McKay MC was a Canadian flying ace who flew with the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War.- Civilian Life :...
,
Harry Compton
Harry Compton
Lieutenant Harry Neville Compton was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.Compton originally served with the Canadian Military Engineers, transferring to the Royal Flying Corps on 14 February 1918. That summer, he was posted to No. 23 Squadron on the Western Front, to fly...
, and
Arthur Bradfield Fairclough
Arthur Bradfield Fairclough
Arthur Bradfield Fairclough MC was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 19 victories.-Military Cross:"Lt. Arthur Bradfield Fairclough, Can. M.G. Co. and R.F.C....
.
Douglas Bader
Douglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
was a member of 23 Squadron when he crashed carrying out low level aerobatics
Aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
, losing his legs in the process. He went on to become one of the highest scoring aces
ACeS
ACeS is a regional satellite telecommunications company based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It offers GSM-like satellite telephony services to Asian market. The coverage area includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, China and India. The company operates the Garuda 1...
of the RAF in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Wing Commander A J 'Red' Owen DFC and Bar, AFC, DFM, was 23 Squadron's commanding officer between May 1962 and October 1964. He was one of the RAFs most successful night fighter pilots during World War II, credited with destroying at least 15 enemy aircraft.
Aircraft operated
- Bleriot XIBlériot XIThe Blériot XI is the aircraft in which, on 25 July 1909, Louis Blériot made the first flight across the English Channel made in a heavier-than-air aircraft . This achievement is one of the most famous accomplishments of the early years of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in...
- Caudron G.III
- Farman ShorthornFarman MF.11|-See also:-External links:* * *...
- Avro 504Avro 504The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
- Martinsyde S1
- BE2cRoyal Aircraft Factory BE.2The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine two-seat biplane which was in service with the Royal Flying Corps from 1912 until the end of World War I. The "Bleriot" in its designation refers to the fact that, like the Bleriot types it was of tractor configuration, with the...
- FE2bRoyal Aircraft Factory F.E.2The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 was a two-seat pusher biplane that was operated as a day and night bomber and as a fighter aircraft by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War...
- Martinsyde G.100Martinsyde G.100-See also:-References:* Aircraft of World War I, Kenneth Munson, 1967 Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-0356-4-External links:* http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/gbritain/martinsyde_g100.php* http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=721...
- SPAD S.VIISPAD S.VIIThe SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugged aircraft with good climbing and diving characteristics...
- SPAD S.XIIISPAD S.XIII|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps . London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.* Sharpe, Michael. Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes. London: Friedman/Fairfax Books, 2000. ISBN 1-58663-300-7....
- Sopwith Dolphin
- Sopwith SnipeSopwith SnipeThe Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force . It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of that conflict, in late 1918.The Snipe was not a fast aircraft...
- Gloster GamecockGloster Gamecock|-See also:-Bibliography:* Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. "The Era-Ending Gamecock". Air Enthusiast, Number 21, April-July 1983.Bromley, Kent:Pilot Press. p. 1-8, 58-62. ISSN 0143-5450....
- Bristol BulldogBristol Bulldog|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. The Bristol Bulldog . Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965.* Barnes, C.H. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910. London: Putnam, 1964....
- Hawker HartHawker HartThe Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber of the Royal Air Force , which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft...
- Hawker Demon
- Bristol BlenheimBristol BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
- Douglas Havoc I
- Douglas Boston III
- De Havilland MosquitoDe Havilland MosquitoThe de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
- De Havilland VampireDe Havilland VampireThe de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
- De Havilland VenomDe Havilland VenomThe de Havilland DH 112 Venom was a British postwar single-engined jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Vampire. It served with the Royal Air Force as a single-seat fighter-bomber and two-seat night fighter....
- Gloster JavelinGloster JavelinThe Gloster Javelin was an "all-weather" interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s...
- English Electric LightningEnglish Electric LightningThe English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, noted for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; Royal Air Force ...
- McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FGR2F-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
- Panavia Tornado F3
- Boeing Sentry AEW1E-3 SentryThe Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...