Hawker Fury
Encyclopedia
The Hawker Fury was a British
biplane
fighter aircraft
used by the Royal Air Force
in the 1930s. It was originally named the Hornet and was the counterpart to the Hawker Hart
light bomber.
prototype fighter, replacing the F.20/27's radial engine with the new Rolls-Royce F.XI V-12 engine (later known as the Rolls-Royce Kestrel
), which was also used by Hawker's new light bomber, the Hawker Hart
. The new fighter prototype, known as the Hawker Hornet, first flew at Brooklands
, Surrey, in March 1929. The Hornet was a single engined biplane
, with single bay wings, initially powered by a 420 hp (313 kW) Rolls-Royce F.XIC engine enclosed by a smooth, streamlined cowling, but was quickly re-engined with a 480 hp (358 kW) Kestrel IS . It was evaluated against the similarly powered Fairey Firefly II, being preferred because of its better handling and its all metal structure compared with the mainly wooden construction of the Firefly.
The Hornet was purchased by the Air Ministry
at the start of 1930, and was subject to further evaluation, with a small initial production order for 21 aircraft (to be designated Hawker Fury - as the Air Ministry wanted fighter names that "reflected ferocity") placed during 1930. The Fury I made its maiden flight at Brooklands
with chief test pilot George Bulman at the controls on March 25, 1931.
The Fury was the RAF's first operational fighter aircraft to be able to exceed 200 mph (322 km/h) in level flight. It had highly sensitive controls which gave it superb aerobatic performance. It was designed partly for the fast interception of bombers and to that end it had a climb rate of almost 2,400 ft/min (730 m/min, powered by a 525 hp/391 kW Kestrel engine).
An experimental prototype, the High Speed Fury, was built to test design features for Hawker's planned competitor for the F.7/30 fighter competition (the Hawker P.V.3
) as well as for more general development. While the P.V.3 was unsuccessful owing to the use of the unreliable evaporatively cooled Rolls-Royce Goshawk
engine, many of the improvements tested on the High Speed Fury were incorporated in an improved Fury II, with a cleaned up airframe and reduced drag, and powered by a 690 hp (515 kW) Mk4 Kestrel engine. These improvements gave improved speed and rate of climb.
Designer at Hawker, Sidney Camm
, designed a monoplane version of the Fury in 1933. It was not developed until the Rolls-Royce
developed what was to become their famous Merlin
engine. The design was then revised according to Air Ministry
specification F5/34 to become the prototype Hawker Hurricane
.
. Owing to financial limitations owing to the Great Depression
, only relatively small numbers of Fury Is were ordered, the type equipping only two more squadrons, 1st and 25th. At the same time, the slower Bristol Bulldog
equipped ten fighter squadrons. The Fury II entered service in 1936-1937, increasing total number of squadrons to six. Furies remained with the RAF Fighter Command until January 1939, replaced primarily with Gloster Gladiator
s, and other types, such as Hawker Hurricane
. After their front line service ended, they continued to be used for training purposes.
The Fury was exported to several customers, being supplied with a variety of engines, including Kestrels, Hispano Suiza and Lorraine Petrel
vee-type engines, Armstrong Siddeley Panther
, Pratt & Whitney Hornet
and Bristol Mercury
radials.
Three Furies were ordered by Spain
in 1935, it being intended to produce another 50 under licence. The Spanish variant had a cantilever
undercarriage
design with Dowty
internally-sprung wheels, similar to that used on the Gladiator, and was powered by a 612 hp (457 kW) Hispano Suiza 12Xbr engine, reaching a speed 234 mph (377 km/h). The three Furies were delivered without armament on 11 July 1936, just before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
. They were taken into service by the Spanish Republican Air Force, being fitted with machine guns scrounged from crashed aircraft. One Fury made a forced landing behind enemy lines due to a lack of fuel and was repaired by the Nationalists, although it was not used operationally, while the Republicans used one of the Furies in the defence of Madrid
until wrecked in a crash in November 1936.
Although phased out from RAF squadrons, the Fury was still used by some foreign air forces in the early 1940s; Yugoslav Furies saw action against Axis
forces in the German
invasion of 1941
. On 6 April 1941 a squadron of Furies took off to defend their country against the invading German Messerschmitt Bf 109
Es and Messerschmitt Bf 110
s. In the resulting conflict 10 Furies were destroyed, almost the entire squadron. The Commanding Officer of the 36 LG was Major
Franjo Đzal watched from the ground as his men were slaughtered in their obsolete biplanes. In an unequal battle against superior adversaries ten Furies, five aircraft were destroyed while taking off and eight pilots killed. Two more Furies and Bücker Bü 131
were destroyed on the ground. But of the attacking German aircraft 5 Bf-109s and 2 Bf-110s failed to return, though most were non-combat losses however at least one was lost when rammed by a Fury. The other squadron of Yugoslav Furies active at the time of the invasion strafed enemy tanks and ground forces, some being lost to ground fire and one being destroyed in a dogfight with a Fiat CR.42
. The rest of the Yugoslav Furies were destroyed when they became unserviceable or at the time of Armistice on the 15th. Ex-RAF Furies were also used by the South African Air Force
against the Italian forces in East Africa in 1941 and despite their obsolescence destroyed 2 Caproni bombers as well as strafing many airfields, destroying fighters and bombers on the ground.
A total of 262 Furies were produced, of which 22 served in Persia, 3 in Portugal
, at least 30 in South Africa
, 3 in Spain
, at least 30 in Yugoslavia
and the remainder in the United Kingdom
.
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Hawker Hornet
Fury Mk I
Fury Series 1A
Intermediate Fury
High Speed Fury
Fury Mk II
Yugoslav Fury
Persian Fury
Norwegian Fury
Portuguese Fury
Spanish Fury
Operators=
Iran
South Africa
Spain
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
used by the Royal Air Force
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...
in the 1930s. It was originally named the Hornet and was the counterpart to the Hawker Hart
Hawker Hart
The 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...
light bomber.
Design and development
The Hawker Fury was a development of the earlier Hawker F.20/27Hawker F.20/27
|-See also:...
prototype fighter, replacing the F.20/27's radial engine with the new Rolls-Royce F.XI V-12 engine (later known as the Rolls-Royce Kestrel
Rolls-Royce Kestrel
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Erfurth, Helmut. Junkers Ju 87 . Bonn, Germany: Bernard & Graefe Verlag, 2004. ISBN 1-85780-186-5....
), which was also used by Hawker's new light bomber, the Hawker Hart
Hawker Hart
The 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...
. The new fighter prototype, known as the Hawker Hornet, first flew at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
, Surrey, in March 1929. The Hornet was a single engined biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
, with single bay wings, initially powered by a 420 hp (313 kW) Rolls-Royce F.XIC engine enclosed by a smooth, streamlined cowling, but was quickly re-engined with a 480 hp (358 kW) Kestrel IS . It was evaluated against the similarly powered Fairey Firefly II, being preferred because of its better handling and its all metal structure compared with the mainly wooden construction of the Firefly.
The Hornet was purchased by the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
at the start of 1930, and was subject to further evaluation, with a small initial production order for 21 aircraft (to be designated Hawker Fury - as the Air Ministry wanted fighter names that "reflected ferocity") placed during 1930. The Fury I made its maiden flight at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
with chief test pilot George Bulman at the controls on March 25, 1931.
The Fury was the RAF's first operational fighter aircraft to be able to exceed 200 mph (322 km/h) in level flight. It had highly sensitive controls which gave it superb aerobatic performance. It was designed partly for the fast interception of bombers and to that end it had a climb rate of almost 2,400 ft/min (730 m/min, powered by a 525 hp/391 kW Kestrel engine).
An experimental prototype, the High Speed Fury, was built to test design features for Hawker's planned competitor for the F.7/30 fighter competition (the Hawker P.V.3
Hawker P.V.3
-References:NotesBibliography* Bowyer, Michael J.F. Interceptor Fighters for the Royal Air Force 1935–45. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Limited, 1984. ISBN 0-85059-726-9.* Goulding, James. Interceptor. London: Ian Allan, 1986. ISBN 0 7110 1583 X....
) as well as for more general development. While the P.V.3 was unsuccessful owing to the use of the unreliable evaporatively cooled Rolls-Royce Goshawk
Rolls-Royce Goshawk
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
engine, many of the improvements tested on the High Speed Fury were incorporated in an improved Fury II, with a cleaned up airframe and reduced drag, and powered by a 690 hp (515 kW) Mk4 Kestrel engine. These improvements gave improved speed and rate of climb.
Designer at Hawker, Sidney Camm
Sidney Camm
Sir Sydney Camm, CBE, FRAeS was an English aeronautical engineer who contributed to many Hawker aircraft designs, from the biplanes of the 1920s to jet fighters. One particularly notable aircraft he designed is the Hawker Hurricane fighter.-Early years:He was the eldest child of Frederick Camm,...
, designed a monoplane version of the Fury in 1933. It was not developed until the Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
developed what was to become their famous Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
engine. The design was then revised according to Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
specification F5/34 to become the prototype Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
.
Operational history
The Fury I entered squadron service with the RAF in May 1931, re-equipping No. 43 SquadronNo. 43 Squadron RAF
No. 43 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland in the air defence role until disbanded in July 2009.-In World War I:...
. Owing to financial limitations owing to the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United Kingdom
The Great Depression in the United Kingdom, also known as the Great Slump, was a period of national economic downturn in the 1930s, which had its origins in the global Great Depression...
, only relatively small numbers of Fury Is were ordered, the type equipping only two more squadrons, 1st and 25th. At the same time, the slower Bristol Bulldog
Bristol 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....
equipped ten fighter squadrons. The Fury II entered service in 1936-1937, increasing total number of squadrons to six. Furies remained with the RAF Fighter Command until January 1939, replaced primarily with Gloster Gladiator
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
s, and other types, such as Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
. After their front line service ended, they continued to be used for training purposes.
The Fury was exported to several customers, being supplied with a variety of engines, including Kestrels, Hispano Suiza and Lorraine Petrel
Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich was a French automobile and aircraft engine manufacturer from 1896 until 1935, created when railway locomotive manufacturer Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissments de Dietrich and Cie branched into the manufacture of automobiles...
vee-type engines, Armstrong Siddeley Panther
Armstrong Siddeley Panther
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
, Pratt & Whitney Hornet
Pratt & Whitney R-1690
|-See also:-External links:*...
and Bristol Mercury
Bristol Mercury
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bridgman, L, Jane's fighting aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
radials.
Three Furies were ordered by Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1935, it being intended to produce another 50 under licence. The Spanish variant had a cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
undercarriage
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
design with Dowty
Dowty Group
Dowty Group was a leading British manufacturer of aircraft equipment. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by TI Group in 1992.-History:...
internally-sprung wheels, similar to that used on the Gladiator, and was powered by a 612 hp (457 kW) Hispano Suiza 12Xbr engine, reaching a speed 234 mph (377 km/h). The three Furies were delivered without armament on 11 July 1936, just before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. They were taken into service by the Spanish Republican Air Force, being fitted with machine guns scrounged from crashed aircraft. One Fury made a forced landing behind enemy lines due to a lack of fuel and was repaired by the Nationalists, although it was not used operationally, while the Republicans used one of the Furies in the defence of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
until wrecked in a crash in November 1936.
Although phased out from RAF squadrons, the Fury was still used by some foreign air forces in the early 1940s; Yugoslav Furies saw action against Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
forces in the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invasion of 1941
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
. On 6 April 1941 a squadron of Furies took off to defend their country against the invading German Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
Es and Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
s. In the resulting conflict 10 Furies were destroyed, almost the entire squadron. The Commanding Officer of the 36 LG was Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Franjo Đzal watched from the ground as his men were slaughtered in their obsolete biplanes. In an unequal battle against superior adversaries ten Furies, five aircraft were destroyed while taking off and eight pilots killed. Two more Furies and Bücker Bü 131
Bücker Bü 131
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgeman, Leonard. “The Bücker Bü 131B “Jungmann”.” Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. ISBN 1-85170-493-0....
were destroyed on the ground. But of the attacking German aircraft 5 Bf-109s and 2 Bf-110s failed to return, though most were non-combat losses however at least one was lost when rammed by a Fury. The other squadron of Yugoslav Furies active at the time of the invasion strafed enemy tanks and ground forces, some being lost to ground fire and one being destroyed in a dogfight with a Fiat CR.42
Fiat CR.42
The Fiat CR.42 Falco was a single-seat sesquiplane fighter which served primarily in Italy's Regia Aeronautica before and during World War II. The aircraft was produced by the Turin firm, and entered service, in smaller numbers, with the air forces of Belgium, Sweden and Hungary...
. The rest of the Yugoslav Furies were destroyed when they became unserviceable or at the time of Armistice on the 15th. Ex-RAF Furies were also used by the South African Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
against the Italian forces in East Africa in 1941 and despite their obsolescence destroyed 2 Caproni bombers as well as strafing many airfields, destroying fighters and bombers on the ground.
A total of 262 Furies were produced, of which 22 served in Persia, 3 in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, at least 30 in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, 3 in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, at least 30 in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and the remainder in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Variants
- Single-seat fighter prototype. Powered by a Rolls Royce F.XIA and later by a 480 hp (358 kW) F.XIS. Only one was built. This aircraft was slightly smaller and lighter than the Fury and considered by Hawkers as a separate type.
Fury Mk I
- Single-seat fighter version, powered by a 525 hp (391 kW) Rolls Royce Kestrel IIs piston engine.
Fury Series 1A
- Single seat fighter for Yugoslavia, similar to Fury Mk I and powered by Kestrel IIS piston engine. Six built by Hawker. One was delivered fitted with a 500 hp (373 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12 NB engine, with poorer performance, and was re-fitted with a Kestrel, while a second was later used for trials with a 720 hp (537 kW) Lorraine Petrel HFrs engine.
Intermediate Fury
- Test and trails aircraft, used as a prototype; one built, British civil registration G-ABSE.
High Speed Fury
- Private venture. Single-seat high-speed trials and test aircraft, used as a prototype, which was developed into the Fury Mk II; one built.
Fury Mk II
- Single-seat fighter version, powered by a 640 hp (477 kW) Rolls Royce Kestrel VI piston engine. First flight 3 December 1936. Total 112 built.
Yugoslav Fury
- Revised single-seat fighter for Yugoslavia, powered by 745 hp Kestrel XVI piston engine, and fitted with low drag radiator and cantilever undercarriage with internally sprung wheels. Provision for an additional two machine guns under wing. Ten made by Hawker delivered 1936-37, with a further 40 licence built in Yugoslavia by IkarusIkarbusIkarbus is a Serbian bus manufacturer based in the Belgrade urban municipality of Zemun. The company was originally established as an aircraft manufacturer in 1923, under the name “Ikarus – the first Serbian airplane, car and engine industry Kovacevic and Co” in Novi Sad by Dimitrije Konjovic,...
(24) and Zmaj (16).
Persian Fury
- Single-seat fighter for Persia (now Iran). 16 aircraft powered by a Pratt & Whitney Hornet S2B1g radial piston engine, driving a three-bladed propeller, ordered in January 1933. A further six aircraft powered by a 550 hp (410 kW) Bristol Mercury VISP radial piston engine, fitted with a two-bladed propeller, ordered in May 1934, with several Hornet powered Furys re-engined.
Norwegian Fury
- One trial aircraft, fitted with a 530 hp (395 kW) Armstrong-Siddeley Panther IIIA radial piston engine; one built for Norway.
Portuguese Fury
- Modified version of the fury Mk I, three aircraft fitted with a Roll-Royce Kestrel II piston engine; three built for Portugal.
Spanish Fury
- Improved version of the Fury Mk I, three aircraft fitted with a 700-hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs engine; three built for Spain.
Operators=
- Norwegian Air Force operated one aircraft only.
Iran
- Imperial Iranian Air Force
- Portugal Air Force
South Africa
- South African Air ForceSouth African Air ForceThe South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
Spain
- Spanish Republican Air ForceSpanish Republican Air ForceThe Spanish Republican Air Force, , was the air arm of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939...
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe 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...
- No. 1 Squadron RAFNo. 1 Squadron RAFNo. 1 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated the Harrier GR9 from RAF Cottesmore until 28 January 2011.The squadron motto is In omnibus princeps , appropriate for the RAF's oldest squadron and one that has been involved in almost every major British military operation since...
- No. 25 Squadron RAF
- No. 41 Squadron RAFNo. 41 Squadron RAFNo. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
- No. 43 Squadron RAFNo. 43 Squadron RAFNo. 43 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland in the air defence role until disbanded in July 2009.-In World War I:...
- No. 73 Squadron RAFNo. 73 Squadron RAF-World War I:It was initially a unit of the Royal Flying Corps and was formed out of the Central Flying School, based at Upavon, Wiltshire. Eight days after, the new unit moved to Lilbourne, near Rugby....
- No. 87 Squadron RAFNo. 87 Squadron RAFNo. 87 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during the First World War and Second World War.-World War I:87 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was first formed on 1 September 1917 at Upavon from elements of the Central Flying School...
- No. 1 Squadron RAF
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- Yugoslav Royal Air ForceYugoslav Royal Air ForceThe Yugoslav Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and existed until Yugoslavia's surrender to the Axis powers in 1941 following the Invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II....