Fighter Aircraft

Aircraft of the Royal Air Force classified as fighter aircraft — profiled in full.

17 Aircraft Profiles
Featured Fighter Aircraft

Bristol Beaufighter

Bristol Aeroplane Company

Fighter Aircraft

Learn how the Bristol Beaufighter gave the RAF an effective radar-equipped night fighter and a hard-hitting maritime strike aircraft in one airframe.

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Entered service July 1940
Retired 1946
Max speed 320 mph (515 km/h)
Ceiling 26,000 ft (7,925 m)
Range 1,500 mi (2,414 km)

Fighter Aircraft · 17 aircraft

Cold War

Blackburn Buccaneer

Blackburn Aircraft Ltd (later Hawker Siddeley)
Fighter Aircraft 1962–1994
Second World War

Bristol Beaufighter

Bristol Aeroplane Company
Fighter Aircraft 1940–1946
Cold War

English Electric Lightning

English Electric (later British Aircraft Corporation)
Fighter Aircraft 1960–1988
Modern RAF

Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter GmbH
Fighter Aircraft 2003
Modern RAF

F-35 Lightning II

Lockheed Martin
Fighter Aircraft 2018
Cold War

Gloster Javelin

Gloster Aircraft Company
Fighter Aircraft 1956–1968
Cold War

Gloster Meteor

Gloster Aircraft Company
Fighter Aircraft 1944–1982
Cold War

Hawker Hunter

Hawker Aircraft Ltd
Fighter Aircraft 1954–1994
Second World War

Hawker Hurricane

Hawker Aircraft Ltd
Fighter Aircraft 1937–1947
Cold War

Hawker Siddeley Harrier

Hawker Siddeley
Fighter Aircraft 1969–2010
Second World War

Hawker Tempest

Hawker Aircraft
Fighter Aircraft 1944–1953
Second World War

Hawker Typhoon

Hawker Aircraft
Fighter Aircraft 1941–1945
Cold War

McDonnell Douglas Phantom

McDonnell Douglas
Fighter Aircraft 1968–1992
Cold War

Panavia Tornado

Panavia Aircraft GmbH (BAC / MBB / Aeritalia consortium)
Fighter Aircraft 1979–2019
Cold War

SEPECAT Jaguar

SEPECAT (Breguet / British Aircraft Corporation)
Fighter Aircraft 1973–2007
First World War

Sopwith Camel

Sopwith Aviation Company
Fighter Aircraft 1917–1920
Second World War

Supermarine Spitfire

Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd
Fighter Aircraft 1938–1954