This is a list of aircraft used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) from 13 April 1912, when it was formed from the Air Battalion Royal Engineers, until 1 April 1918 when it was merged with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) to form the Royal Air Force (RAF). The RFC operated in parallel with the RNAS, whose aircraft are listed at List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service. For a list of Royal Air Force aircraft see List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force.
Operational aeroplanes + Operational aeroplanes Aircraft Role First flight Introduced to RFC service Airco DH.1Bruce, 1982, pp. 38–40. Fighter / General purpose January 1915 1915 Airco DH.2Bruce, 1982, pp. 41–46. Fighter July 1915 1915 Airco DH.4Bruce, 1982, pp. 49–61. Light bomber / General purpose August 1916 January 1917 Airco DH.5Bruce, 1982, pp. 61–66. Fighter August 1916 May 1917 Airco DH.6Bruce, 1982, pp. 66–71. Trainer 1916 1917 Airco DH.9Bruce, 1982, pp. 72–78. Bomber July 1917 November 1917 Airco DH.9ABruce, 1982, pp. 78–83. Light bomber/General purpose March 1918 Introduced to the RAF in 1918 Armstrong Whitworth F.K.2Bruce, 1982, pp. 90–93. General purpose 1915 1915 Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3Bruce, 1982, pp. 93–99. General purpose / Trainer 1915 1916 Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8Bruce, 1982, pp. 100–105. Bomber / Reconnaissance May 1916 June 1916 Avro Type E/Es/500Bruce, 1982, pp. 110–112. General purpose 3 March 1912 1912 Avro 504Bruce, 1982, pp. 112–120. Trainer / Fighter 18 September 1913 1913 Blériot XIBruce, 1982, pp. 128–132. Trainer / Reconnaissance 23 January 1909 1912 Blériot XIIBruce, 1982, pp. 133–135. Sport 21 May 1909 Operated by the Balloon School, not the RFC Blériot XXIBruce, 1982, pp. 135–137. Reconnaissance February 1911 1911 Blériot Parasol MonoplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 138–141. Observation / Trainer / Light bomber 23 January 1909 1912 Breguet Type IIIBruce, 1982, pp. 142–147. Experimental 1910 ? Bristol BoxkiteBruce, 1982, pp. 148–151. Trainer 30 July 1910 1911 (for the Air Battalion) Bristol-Coanda MonoplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 153–156. Trainer 1912 ? Bristol F.2A and F.2B FighterBruce, 1982, pp. 169–174.Bruce, 1982, pp. 174–180. Fighter / Reconnaissance 9 September 1916 Late 1916 Bristol ScoutBruce, 1982, pp. 161–167. Reconnaissance / Fighter 23 February 1914 1914 Bristol M.1Bruce, 1982, pp. 180–184. Fighter 14 July 1916 1917 Caudron G.IIIBruce, 1982, pp. 191–194. Reconnaissance Late 1913 ? Curtiss JN-3Bruce, 1982, pp. 201–204. Trainer ? March 1915 Curtiss JN-4ABruce, 1982, pp. 209–211. Trainer 1915 1917 Curtiss JN-4 (Canadian)Operated by the RFC Canada.Bruce, 1982, pp. 211–215. Trainer ? 1917 Deperdussin TTBruce, 1982, pp. 215–220. General purpose 1912 ? Farman HF.20Bruce, 1982, pp. 229–234. Reconnaissance 1913 ? Farman HF.27Bruce, 1982, pp. 234–238. Reconnaissance ? ? Farman MF.7 LonghornBruce, 1982, pp. 238–241. Reconnaissance 1913 ? Farman MF.11 ShorthornBruce, 1982, pp. 241–247. Reconnaissance / Bomber 1913 ? FBA Type BBruce, 1982, pp. 247–249. Reconnaissance (flying boat) ? ? Grahame-White Type XVBruce, 1982, pp. 259–261. Trainer 1913 ? Martinsyde S.1Bruce, 1982, pp. 272–276. Fighter 1914 ? Martinsyde G.100 & 102Bruce, 1982, pp. 276–280. Fighter-bomber 1915 mid-1916 Morane-Saulnier GBruce, 1982, pp. 285–289. Reconnaissance 1912 ? Morane-Saulnier H Reconnaissance 1913 ? Morane-Saulnier BBBruce, 1982, pp. 303–306. Observation 1915 ? Morane-Saulnier IBruce, 1982, pp. 301–303. Fighter March 1916 ? Morane-Saulnier LBruce, 1982, pp. 289–292. Reconnaissance August 1913 ? Morane-Saulnier LABruce, 1982, pp. 292–296. Reconnaissance ? ? Morane-Saulnier NBruce, 1982, pp. 296–303. Fighter 22 July 1914 ? Morane-Saulnier V Fighter April 1916 ? Morane-Saulnier PBruce, 1982, pp. 306–312. Reconnaissance 1914 ? Nieuport II.NBruce, 1982, pp. 318–319. Sport 1910 ? Nieuport IV.GBruce, 1982, pp. 315–319. Reconnaissance 1911 1911 (for the Air Battalion) Nieuport 12Bruce, 1982, pp. 320–325. Reconnaissance / Fighter / Trainer 1915 ? Nieuport 16Bruce, 1982, pp. 326–328. Fighter 1916 ? Nieuport 17 & 23Bruce, 1982, pp. 328–333. January 1916 ? Nieuport 20Bruce, 1982, pp. 323–325. 1915 ? Nieuport 23bisKnight, 2011, p.149 ? ? Nieuport 24 & 24bisBruce, 1982, pp. 334–336. 1917 ? Nieuport 27Bruce, 1982, pp. 337–338. 1917 ? Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.1Bruce, 1982, pp. 341–344. 4 December 1911 ? Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2Bruce, 1982, pp. 344–370. 1 February 1912 ? Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.3 & 4Bruce, 1982, pp. 370–375. 3 May 1912 1912 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.7Bruce, 1982, pp. 375–376. ? ? Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 & 8aBruce, 1982, pp. 377–381. 1913 1914 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12Bruce, 1982, pp. 385–397. 28 July 1915 1 August 1916 Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2Bruce, 1982, pp. 397–426. February 1914 September 1915 Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8Bruce, 1982, pp. 431–436. September 1915 2 August 1916 Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.1Bruce, 1982, pp. 440–444. Reconnaissance July 1913 ? Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5Bruce, 1982, pp. 445–451. Reconnaissance / artillery observation 1914 1914 Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7Bruce, 1982, pp. 451–458. Light bomber and reconnaissance 1915 1915 Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8Bruce, 1982, pp. 458–464. ? ? Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.2Reconnaissance/Artillery observation Bruce, 1982, pp. 464–468. ? ? Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.4aBruce, 1982, pp. 468–471. ? ? Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 & 5aBruce, 1982, pp. 471–481. ? ? Short School Biplane (S.43 & 44)Bruce, 1982, pp. 482–483. ? ? Short S.62Bruce, 1982, pp. 486–487. ? ? Short Type 184 ? ? Short Type 827Bruce, 1982, pp. 487–488. ? ? Short BomberBruce, 1982, pp. 489–490. ? ? Sopwith 1-1/2 StrutterBruce, 1982, pp. 499–509. ? ? Sopwith 3-Seater ? ? Sopwith 80 hp BiplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 491–493. ? ? Sopwith CamelBruce, 1982, pp. 522–535. December 1916 June 1917 Sopwith DolphinBruce, 1982, pp. 535–544. May 1917 February 1918 Sopwith PupBruce, 1982, pp. 512–519. February 1916 October 1916 Sopwith SalamanderBruce, 1982, pp. 550–552. April 1918 November 1918 Sopwith SnipeBruce, 1982, pp. 544–549. October 1917 August 1918 Sopwith TabloidBruce, 1982, pp. 493–498. ? ? SPAD S.VIIBruce, 1982, pp. 553–558. ? ? SPAD S.XIIIBruce, 1982, pp. 561–564. ? ? Vickers Boxkite (Vickers-Farman)Bruce, 1982, pp. 564–565. ? ? Vickers E.S.1Bruce, 1982, pp. 576–581. ? ? Vickers F.B. 'Gun Carrier'/'Fighting Biplanes'Bruce, 1982, pp. 566–568. ? ? Vickers F.B.5Bruce, 1982, pp. 569–573. Fighter 17 July 1914 November 1914 Vickers F.B.9Bruce, 1982, pp. 582–584. ? ? Vickers F.B.12Bruce, 1982, pp. 585–590. ? ? Vickers F.B.14Bruce, 1982, pp. 590–596. ? ? Vickers F.B.19Bruce, 1982, pp. 597–601. ? ? Voisin III & VBruce, 1982, pp. 606–610. ? ?
Airships The airship service was disbanded 1 January 1914 and all airships transferred to the RNAS. See List of British airships British Army Airship No.3/Baby/Beta/Beta II No.2A – 1910– Delta – 1912–1914 Epsilon I and Epsilon II – Eta 1913–1914D'Orcy's Airship Manual - Royal Aircraft Factory (formerly Army Balloon Factory), Farnborough Clément-Bayard II Zeta 1910–1910 Lebaudy Morning Post 1910–1911 Ian, 2009, pp.
Kites Man-lifting kite
Prototypes ASL ValkyrieNo serial assigned, donated aircraft probably not flown by the RFC.Bruce, 1982, pp. 35–37. Airco DH.3Bruce, 1982, pp. 46–49. Armstrong Whitworth F.K.7Bruce, 1982, pp. 100–101. Armstrong Whitworth F.K.9Bruce, 1982, pp. 106–108. Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10Bruce, 1982, pp. 106–109. Avro 521Bruce, 1982, pp. 120–122. Beatty-Wright BiplanesBruce, 1982, pp. 123–128. Bristol-Prier MonoplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 151–153. Bristol TB.8 & G.B.75Bruce, 1982, pp. 156–160. Bristol S.2ABruce, 1982, pp. 168–169. Caproni Ca.1Abandoned en route during delivery flight, no serial assigned.Bruce, 1982, pp. 185–189. Caudron Type C/45 hp Bruce, 1982, pp. 189–191. Caudron G.IVBruce, 1982, pp. 194–196. Caudron R.XIBruce, 1982, pp. 196–198. Cody V biplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 198–200. Curtiss C-1 CanadaBruce, 1982, pp. 204–220. Dunne D.8Bruce, 1982, pp. 221–223. Farman Type Militaire, 1910Bruce, 1982, pp. 223–226. Flanders F.4Bruce, 1982, pp. 249–251. Grahame-White Type VII & VIIcBruce, 1982, pp. 254–256. Grahame-White Type VIIIBruce, 1982, pp. 256–258. Grahame-White Pusher BiplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 258–259. Grahame-White School BiplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 252–253. Handley Page Type O/400Ordered by the RFC but delivered to the Royal Air Force.Bruce, 1982, pp. 261–268. Howard Wright biplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 269–270. Martin-Handasyde MonoplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 271–272. Martinsyde F.3Bruce, 1982, pp. 280–285. Morane-Saulnier ACBruce, 1982, pp. 312–314. Paulhan biplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 338–341. Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.9Bruce, 1982, pp. 381–385. Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.4Bruce, 1982, pp. 426–430. Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9Bruce, 1982, pp. 436–440. Royal Aircraft Factory N.E.1 Short Tractor BiplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 484–485. Sopwith SparrowBruce, 1982, pp. 509–512. Sopwith TriplaneBruce, 1982, pp. 519–523. SPAD S.XIIBruce, 1982, pp. 559–560. Vickers F.B.7/7ABruce, 1982, pp. 574–576. Vickers F.B.27 VimyBruce, 1982, pp. 602–605. Vickers F.B.26 Vampire
Wright Model HBruce, 1982, pp. 614–616.No serial assigned, previous model B out of service before 1912.
Unmanned aerial vehicles British unmanned aerial vehicles of World War I
List of weapons of the Royal Flying Corps Bombs Cooper bombs Ranken darts
Rockets Le Prieur rocket - Incendiary air-to-air rockets
Machine guns 0.303-inch (7.7-mm) Lewis gun 0.303-inch (7.7-mm) Vickers machine gun
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography