On 1st April 1918, the amalgamation of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps into a single air fighting force saw the birth of the Royal Air Force and with it, the establishment of the world’s first independent air arm. Over the course of its illustrious history, perhaps no other aircraft type has represented the strength and capability of a modern RAF more effectively than the fighter, defending Britain from attack, whilst also captivating the imagination of the general public.

Flown by heroes and carrying the pride of a grateful nation into the air with them, these aircraft are often regarded as the most exciting machines created by man and during the past 100 years, the Royal Air Force has been equipped with some of the most capable fighting aeroplanes the world has ever seen.