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Bristol Beaufighter Mk X

Aircraft & Exhibits, 1944-1950, London, Hangar Three/Four, London, Hangar Three/Four, 74/A/13

The prototype flew on 17 July 1939 and the first production Beaufighters were delivered to the Royal Air Force in the following April. The type was the first high performance night fighter equipped with airborne interception radar and successfully operated against the German night raids in the winter of 1940-1941. Later the Beaufighter was introduced into Coastal Command as a strike fighter. Its original formidable gun armament was retained but rockets and torpedoes were added giving it an even greater fire power.

Grey/green camouflaged aircraft with black and white D-day invasion stripes, © RAF Museum/Iain Duncan / (c) RAF Museum/ Iain Duncan

Vickers Wellington B Mk X

Aircraft & Exhibits, MAY 1944-JAN 1955, Cosford, Hangar Three, Cosford, Hangar Three, 69/A/171

This Wellington was constructed in 1944 and served with No. 1 Air Navigation Training School between 1949 and 1953. It was not operational in the Second World War but represents the role played in the bombing campaign against Germany. It is one of only two Wellingtons to survive into the present day.

Vickers Wellington on display, (C) RAF Museum/Iain Duncan

Hawker Hunter FGA9

Aircraft & Exhibits, OCT 1956-OCT 1985, London, Hangar Three/Four, 1990/0698/A

The Hunter was the first high-speed jet fighter with radar and fully-powered flying controls to go into widespread service with the Royal Air Force. It was one of the most successful of the British post-war jet fighters; over 1000 were purchased by the Royal Air Force. Entering service in July 1954 it became the Royal Air Force’s standard single-seat fighter, replacing Meteor, Sabre and Venom aircraft. From 1960 Lightnings began to supersede the Hunter in Fighter Command.

Image pending

McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG1, Cockpit Section

Aircraft & Exhibits, JUN 1969-JAN 1994, Cosford, Hangar Four, 1994/1474/A

One of the most successful and widely-used warplanes of all time, originally designed to meet a US Navy requirement for a supersonic two-seat carrier-borne air defence fighter, the Phantom first flew in May 1958 and entered US Navy service in July 1961. This Cockpit section is from Phantom FG1 XV591 – one of 48 production Phantom FG1 aircraft initially purchased for British service, 20 for the RAF and the remainder, including XV591, for the Royal Navy.

Image pending