Meet the R.A.F.’s most historic aircraft

In 1943, 16 different types of military planes gathered on the runways of Hullavington airfield for a unique picture. We explore the incredible machines who helped in the defence of Britain during WW2 and first breathed life into our newest campus

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Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read

Hullavington airfield, Wiltshire, was originally designed with a single purpose in mind: to house the aircraft used in the Battle of Britain. Aeroplanes are the lifeblood of the airfield, they shaped every aspect of the site’s original design including the vast hangars — it is even rumoured that a complete Spitfire is buried under one of the runways where this picture (above) was shot.

The 16 different aircraft represented in this image each played a different, but vital part in the defence of Britain. Amongst the many different types of machines that mounted the defence against the German Luftwaffe, there were fighters, bombers, reconnaissance and training craft. Read below to find out more about each of them.

01 — De Havilland, DH.98 Mosquito

First flight: 25th November 1940
Produced: 1940–1950
Number built: 7,781

02 ­ — Hawker, Typhoon

First flight: 24th February 1940
Produced: 1941–1945
Number built: 3,317

03 ­ — Supermarine, Spitfire

First flight: 5th March 1936
Produced: 1938–1948
Number built: 20,351

04 ­ — Percival, Proctor

First flight: 8th October 1939
Produced: 1941–1945
Number built: 1,143

05 ­ — Grumman, Avenger

First flight: 7th August 1941
Produced: 1942–1960
Number built: 9,839

06 ­ — Hawker, Hurricane

First flight: 6th November 1935
Produced: 1937–1944
Number built: 14,583

07 ­ — Avro, Anson

First flight: 24th March
Produced: 1930s-1952
Number built: 11,020

08 ­ — Airspeed, Oxford

First flight: 19th June 1937
Produced: 1937–1956
Number built: 8,586

09 ­ — De Havilland, Tiger Moth

First flight: 26th October
Produced: 1931–1944
Number built: 8,868

10 ­ — Avro, Lancaster

First flight: 9th January 1941
Produced: 1942–1945
Number built: 7,377

11 ­ — Miles, Magister

First flight: 20th March 1937
Produced: 1937–1941
Number built: 1,303

12 ­ — Vickers, Wellington

First flight: 15th June 1936
Produced: 1936–1945
Number built: 11,461–11,462

13 ­ — Douglas, Boston

First flight: 23rd January 1939
Produced: 1939–1944
Number built: 7,478

14 ­ — North American, Mitchell

First flight: 19th August 1940
Produced: 1941–1979
Number built: 9,816

15 ­ — Short, Stirling

First flight: 14th May 1939
Produced: 1939–1945
Number built: 2,371

16 ­ — GAL, Hotspur glider

First flight: 5th November 1940
Produced: 1940–1943
Number built: 1,015

This article was originally published in Dyson on: magazine. To read more visit on.dyson.co.uk

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Dyson

Dyson

Dyson is a fast growing technology company. Employing thousands of engineers and investing £7 million a week on research and development means we have plenty to talk about. We want to share our most important news, stories, and issues as we develop the future of Dyson.

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