DH-2 single-seat pusher fighter built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company for the Royal Flying Corps at Hendon in early 1916. The last figure '3' of the serial is not visible because film of the day could not distinguish between black numeral and red fin strip. Obtained from De Havilland over 50 years ago.

A slightly incongruous exhibit in the Battle of Britain exhibition hall of the Royal Air Force Museum

Of the 3,317 Typhoons built this is the sole surviving complete example. The type first flew in 1940 and was intended as a replacement for the Hurricane. In 1943 ground attack rockets were fitted and the type became extremely successful in that role. They must have been a magnificent sight in the air. This example was assessed by the USAF in 1944 and it was presented to the RAF Museum by the Smithsonian in 1967

No serial no is known for this, believed to have been a Merlin powered MkIIX, built 1941 or 1942. By 1966 it was known to have been in use as an instructional exhibit at the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield and was donated to the Museum in 1966

The Mohawk was one of the series of Miles Monoplanes including the Falcon, Whitney Straight, Hawk Trainer, and the Master and Magister trainers. It was a tandem two-seat cabin monoplane designed for Charles Lindbergh and this was the sole example built. It was written off in a landing accident in Spain in 1949 and the remains were found in a scrapyard in 1973. It was acquired by the RAF Museum in 2000 and has now been magnificently restored.

Thunderbirds are go? The Belvedere must be one of the quirkiest jet age aircraft to have reached operational service - 26 copies were built. Its impression of great size is mostly through clumsy design - it carried the same payload as a an early CH-46 Sea Knight or S-61.

Part of the Corpo Aereo Italiano that Mussolini sent to Belgium to assist the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, this Falco force landed on the beach at Orford Ness, Suffolk, on 11 November 1940.