The Airco DH.9A is a British single-engined light bomber that was designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. It was a development of the unsuccessful Airco DH.9 bomber, featuring a strengthened structure and, crucially, replacing the under-powered and unreliable inline 6-cylinder Siddeley Puma engine of the DH.9 with the American V-12 Liberty engine.

Colloquially known as the "Ninak" (from the phonetic alphabet treatment of designation "nine-A"), it served on in large numbers for the Royal Air Force following the end of the war, both at home and overseas, where it was used for colonial policing in the Middle East, finally being retired in 1931. Over 2,400 examples of an unlicensed version, the Polikarpov R-1, were built in the Soviet Union, the type serving as the standard Soviet light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft through the 1920s.

The DH.9A was planned as an improved version of the existing Airco DH.9. The DH.9 was a disappointment owing to its under-performing and unreliable engines, and the DH.9A was to use a more powerful engine to resolve this. As the Rolls-Royce Eagle engine used in the successful DH.4 was unavailable in sufficient quantities, the new American 400 hp (300 kW) Liberty engine was chosen instead

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By the start of World War Two in September 1939 three squadrons had been equipped with the Sunderlands. Seven hundred and forty-nine Sunderlands were built, and they served throughout the war. The final Coastal Command Sunderland operational mission was in June 1945 over four weeks after the German surrender. Long-range Sunderland operations also took place overseas from bases in Africa and the Far East.

Post-war the type took part in the Berlin Airlift carrying 4920 tonnes (4847 tons) of freight. During the Korean War Sunderlands based in Japan undertook nearly 900 operational sorties totally over 13350 hours of flying. The Sunderland finally retired from RAF service in 1959 when the last aircraft were scrapped at RAF Seletar, Singapore.

The Sunderland’s design was so good that it remained in front line service for over twenty years. It was also the last flying-boat operated by the Royal Air Force. The Sunderland was produced as a military development of the ‘C’-Class Empire flying-boat operated by Imperial Airways. It entered service in June 1938 and was the first British flying boat to have power-operated gun turrets as part of its defensive armament. This strong protective armament resulted in the Germans giving it the nickname ‘Flying Porcupine’.

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The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine of 27-litres (1,650 cu in) capacity. Rolls-Royce designed the engine and first ran it in 1933 as a private venture. Initially known as the PV-12, it was later called Merlin following the company convention of naming its four-stroke piston aero engines after birds of prey.

One of the most successful aircraft engines of the World War II era, some 50 versions of the Merlin were built by Rolls-Royce in Derby, Crewe and Glasgow, as well as by Ford of Britain at their Trafford Park factory, near Manchester. A de-rated version was also the basis of the Rolls-Royce/Rover Meteor tank engine. Post-war, the Merlin was largely superseded by the Rolls-Royce Griffon for military use, with most Merlin variants being designed and built for airliners and military transport aircraft.

The Packard V-1650 was a version of the Merlin built in the United States. Production ceased in 1950 after a total of almost 150,000 engines had been delivered. Merlin engines remain in Royal Air Force service today with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and power many restored aircraft in private ownership worldwide

The Merlin III was a Merlin II with standardised de Havilland/Rotol SBAC propeller shaft, and dual accessory-drive. 1,030 hp (770 kW) at 3,000 rpm at 10,250 feet (3,120 m) at +6.5 lb boost.[15] Formed basis for the Rolls-Royce/Rover Meteor tank engine

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The Rolls-Royce Pegasus, formerly the Bristol Siddeley Pegasus, is a British turbofan engine originally designed by Bristol Siddeley. It was manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. The engine is not only able to power a jet aircraft forward, but also to direct thrust downwards via swivelling nozzles.[1] Lightly loaded aircraft equipped with this engine can manoeuvre like a helicopter. In particular, they can perform vertical takeoffs and landings.[2] In US service, the engine is designated F402.

The unique Pegasus engine powers all versions of the Harrier family of multi-role military aircraft. Rolls-Royce licensed Pratt & Whitney to build the Pegasus for US built versions. However Pratt & Whitney never completed any engines, with all new build being manufactured by Rolls-Royce in Bristol, England. The Pegasus was also the planned engine for a number of aircraft projects, among which were the prototypes of the German Dornier Do 31 VSTOL military transport project.

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Royal Air Force Buccaneers first saw combat during the 1990-91 Gulf War (Operation ‘Granby’), 22 years after entering service. Although the Buccaneer was seen in 1969 as an interim type pending the development of the Panavia Tornado, the last examples were not retired until March 1994.

Designed by Blackburn Aircraft (later Hawker Siddeley Aviation) to a naval requirement for a carrier-based, low-level maritime strike aircraft, the Buccaneer S1 entered service with the Fleet Air Arm in 1962

Attempts to interest the Royal Air Force in the type as a replacement for the Canberra bomber were unsuccessful. However, following the termination of its intended replacement, the American F111, the Buccaneer S2 variant was ordered in July 1968. 108 Buccaneers entered RAF service. Forty-six were new aircraft; the balance came from the Fleet Air Arm, as aircraft carriers were phased out in the 1970s.

From 1972 two squadrons of Buccaneers served in RAF Germany until replaced by Tornados in 1984. Maritime strike/attack and reconnaissance then became the aircraft’s primary role, along with the secondary task of carrying laser designator equipment for precision attacks. Twelve Buccaneers were deployed at short notice to the Gulf during Operation ‘Granby’ to designate targets for Royal Air Force Tornados and Jaguars.

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This is one of the prototypes of the Eurofighter Typhoon. The UK, Germany, Italy and Spain formed the Eurofighter company and worked together to develop the many advanced features of this state-of-the-art machine.

The Typhoon is a key part of the current Royal Air Force’s equipment. It is a highly capable and extremely agile fourth-generation multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed for the full spectrum of air operations, including air policing, peace support and high-intensity conflict. The Eurofighter also builds on a long history of British multi-role fighters and other European collaborative projects.

The Typhoon was initially deployed in the air-to-air role as the Typhoon F2. The current FGR4 has acquired a variety of weapons, and is capable of engaging numerous target types. The pilot performs many essential functions through the aircraft’s ‘hands on throttle and stick’ (HOTAS) interface which, combined with an advanced cockpit and the ‘Helmet Equipment Assembly’ (HEA), renders Typhoon superbly equipped for all aspects of air operations.

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