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The British Royal Airforce is formed, marking it as the oldest independent airforce.
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The FAA is formed as a branch of the RAF, responsible for the naval aircraft.
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The Supermarine Spitfire entered into the service. Designed by R. J. Mitchell, this single-manned fighter was used in a multitude of ways, but was most well-known as the staple fighter and intercepter of the RAF.
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The Hawker Hurricane enters service. Designed first by Sydney Camm, the Hurricane was a slightly heavier and slower than it's predesecors. Although easily overshadowed by the Supermarine Spitfire, it was a backbone of the RAF and could take damage and abuse and still return home.
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The Fleet Air Arm was was returned to Admiralty control under the “Inskip Award" and renamed the Air Branch of the Royal Navy.
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During the Battle of Britain, in the summer of 1940 during WWII, the RAF fought against the German Luftwaffe by defending the skies over Britain.
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By 1940, the RAF had accumulated about 1,070 functioning aircraft, compared to the Germans' 5,000+.
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The AS.58 Horsa Mk. II made it's first flight. It was named after Horsa, the legendary 5th century conqueror of southern Britain and was the main trasport aircraft.
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The Avro Lancaster bacame the main heavy bomber. It was a four-engined aircraft designed and built by Avro for the RAF. This bomber dropped roughly 608,612 tons of various types of bombs during 1942-1945.
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Between 1942 and 1945, Avro Lancasters dropped a total of 609,000 tons of bombs.
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The Horsa was first used in combat on July 10, 1943 when 27 of them were used in the invasion of Sicily.
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By this time, over 14,000 Hawker Hurricanes had been built, as Britian had started to produce many more aircraft.
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The ACC’s most successful mission during the war was the attack on Pegasus Bridge on June 6, 1944 prior to the landings on Normandy.
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It was only in the 1950's that the Spitfire left the service as a trainer and a fighter.
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Today, the RAF is still functioning and operates upwards of 1,000 planes.
