Skip to content

The RAF Chronicle

  • Home
  • On This Day
  • Operations
  • Aircraft
  • People
  • Squadrons
  • Archive
The RAF Chronicle
5 June

On This Day, 1999: On 5 June 1999 RAF Tornados flew their first combat missions from Solenzara in Corsica during Operation Allied…

Read the entry →

Formation Interwar

Aircraft profiles from the formation interwar era of the Royal Air Force.

1 Aircraft Profiles
Featured Formation Interwar Aircraft

Avro Anson

A. V. Roe and Company

Maritime Aircraft

The Avro Anson, a monoplane with a fixed undercarriage, entered RAF service in 1936 for the roles of coastal reconnaissance and maritime patrol. It was the RAF's first all-metal, monoplane type. Although slow by modern standards, it performed much needed night time patrols during the inter-war period and early years of war. In 1939, the Anson was beginning to be employed as a trainer and for communication duties. It would carry out these roles for the next 30 years until 1954.

View aircraft →
Entered service March 1936
Retired 1968
Max speed 188 mph (303 km/h)
Ceiling 19,000 ft (5,791 m)
Range 790 mi (1,271 km)

Formation Interwar · 1 aircraft

Formation & Interwar

Avro Anson

A. V. Roe and Company
Maritime Aircraft 1936–1968

The RAF Chronicle

An independent publication exploring the history of the Royal Air Force and British military aviation. Not affiliated with Ministry of Defence.

Archive

On This Day

Operations

Aircraft

People

Squadrons

Articles

Eras

First World War

Formation & Interwar

Second World War

Cold War

Modern RAF

Publication

About

Editorial Standards

Copyright Notice

Contact

Support The Chronicle

© 2026 The RAF Chronicle

Per Ardua ad Astra

  • Home
  • On This Day
  • Operations
  • Aircraft
  • People
  • Squadrons
  • Archive