22 July
On This Day, 1940: On 22 July 1940, an RAF Blenheim used airborne interception radar to shoot down a Dornier Do 17…
Read the entry →Cold War
Aircraft profiles from the cold war era of the Royal Air Force.
Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd
Fighter AircraftExplore the Supermarine Spitfire in RAF service, from pre-war introduction and the Battle of Britain to later wartime and post-war use.
View aircraft → Entered service August 1938
Retired 1954
Max speed 362 mph (583 km/h)
Ceiling 34,000 ft (10,363 m)
Range 470 mi (756 km)
Cold War · 23 aircraft
Cold War
Avro Shackleton
A. V. Roe and Company
Cold War
Avro Vulcan
A. V. Roe and Company
Modern RAF
BAE Hawk
British Aerospace / BAE Systems
Cold War
Blackburn Buccaneer
Blackburn Aircraft Ltd (later Hawker Siddeley)
Second World War
de Havilland Mosquito
de Havilland
Second World War
Douglas Dakota
Douglas Aircraft Company
Cold War
English Electric Canberra
English Electric
Cold War
English Electric Lightning
English Electric (later British Aircraft Corporation)
Cold War
Gloster Javelin
Gloster Aircraft Company
Cold War
Gloster Meteor
Gloster Aircraft Company
Cold War
Handley Page Victor
Handley Page Limited
Cold War
Hawker Hunter
Hawker Aircraft Ltd
Cold War
Hawker Siddeley Harrier
Hawker Siddeley
Cold War
Hawker Siddeley Nimrod
Hawker Siddeley
Second World War
Hawker Tempest
Hawker Aircraft
Cold War
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin)
Cold War
McDonnell Douglas Phantom
McDonnell Douglas
Cold War
Panavia Tornado
Panavia Aircraft GmbH (BAC / MBB / Aeritalia consortium)
Cold War
SEPECAT Jaguar
SEPECAT (Breguet / British Aircraft Corporation)
Second World War
Short Sunderland
Short Brothers
Second World War
Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd
Cold War
Vickers Valiant
Vickers-Armstrongs
Cold War