AP 118 · No. 10 Section IV · Numbers The Almanac
Section IV1914–2026

Air power in numbers

The Almanac

A century of air war, counted

How many were built, how many flew, how many came home. Ten almanacs of wars, air forces and records, told in charts, isotype rows of aircraft, sortable tables, annotated photographs and the gazetteer’s own 3D models, parked side by side at true scale.

10
Almanacs
262
Charts, tables & plates
127
Models at one scale
182
Sources cited

The numbers, war by war

From the Great War to the air forces flying today.

01 1914–1918The Great WarThe air war in figures, 1914–1918 22,647aircraft on the strength of the RAF at the Armistice. In August 1914 the RFC’s Military Wing had 179 29 charts, tables & plates → 02 1939–1945The Second World WarThe air war in figures, 1939–1945 324,750aircraft built in the United States, 1939–1945: half as many again as Germany, Japan and Italy put together 26 charts, tables & plates → 03 1950–1953KoreaThe air war in figures, 1950–1953 792MiG-15s claimed by Sabre pilots. Soviet records admit 335 Soviet MiGs lost — to every cause. 25 charts, tables & plates → 04 1947–1991The Cold WarAir power in figures, 1947–1991 159V-bombers on strength at the force’s peak, June 1964: 70 Vulcans, 50 Valiants, 39 Victors 30 charts, tables & plates → 05 1961–1975VietnamThe air war in figures, 1961–1975 5,607helicopters lost in the Vietnam War — about half of the 11,846 that served there 25 charts, tables & plates → 06 1982The FalklandsThe air war in figures, 1982 21Argentine aircraft shot down by Sea Harriers, for none lost in air combat (the usual count is 20; see the note on chapter 01) 25 charts, tables & plates → 07 1991Desert StormThe air war in figures, 1991 118,661coalition sorties flown between 17 January and 28 February 1991 26 charts, tables & plates → 08 TodayThe RAFA century of strength, 1918–2026 31,390regular RAF personnel on 1 July 2026, about one for every 38 serving at the peak of July 1944 25 charts, tables & plates → 09 TodayThe World’s Air ForcesWho flies what, in 2026 52,231military aircraft in day-to-day use with the armed forces of 161 nations 29 charts, tables & plates → 10 1903–2026The Record BookFastest, highest, biggest, most built 2,193mph, the SR-71’s absolute speed record for a jet, set on 28 July 1976 and still unbroken 22 charts, tables & plates →

The whole Hangar at one scale

Every model the gazetteer has built, nose to tail, oldest first.

Each of these 127 side views is drawn from one of the gazetteer’s own 3D models, and every one is printed at the same scale, so a Flying Flea really is that much smaller than a Concorde. Click any aircraft for its plate in The Hangar.

  1. B.E.2cB.E.2c 1912 · 8.3 m
  2. 504K504K 1913 · 9.0 m
  3. Scout DScout D 1914 · 6.3 m
  4. PupPup 1916 · 5.9 m
  5. TriplaneTriplane 1916 · 5.7 m
  6. R.E.8R.E.8 1916 · 8.5 m
  7. M.1CM.1C 1916 · 6.2 m
  8. F.2B FighterF.2B Fighter 1916 · 7.9 m
  9. S.E.5aS.E.5a 1916 · 6.4 m
  10. Camel F.1Camel F.1 1916 · 5.7 m
  11. Dr.IDr.I 1917 · 5.8 m
  12. DH.9DH.9 1917 · 9.3 m
  13. S.6AS.6A 1929 · 8.8 m
  14. Tiger Moth IITiger Moth II 1931 · 7.3 m
  15. ArgusArgus 1932 · 7.3 m
  16. Rota IRota I 1933 · 6.0 m
  17. WalrusWalrus 1933 · 11.5 m
  18. Flying FleaFlying Flea 1933 · 3.9 m
  19. KaydetKaydet 1934 · 7.5 m
  20. SwordfishSwordfish 1934 · 10.9 m
  21. HindHind 1934 · 9.0 m
  22. GladiatorGladiator 1934 · 8.4 m
  23. He 111He 111 1935 · 16.4 m
  24. AnsonAnson 1935 · 12.9 m
  25. HarvardHarvard 1935 · 8.8 m
  26. Bf 109EBf 109E 1935 · 8.6 m
  27. Flying FortressFlying Fortress 1935 · 22.7 m
  28. HurricaneHurricane 1935 · 9.6 m
  29. Dakota IVDakota IV 1935 · 19.7 m
  30. SpitfireSpitfire 1936 · 9.5 m
  31. Bf 110Bf 110 1936 · 12.1 m
  32. LysanderLysander 1936 · 9.3 m
  33. WellingtonWellington 1936 · 19.7 m
  34. HampdenHampden 1936 · 16.3 m
  35. Blenheim Mk IVBlenheim Mk IV 1936 · 13.0 m
  36. MagisterMagister 1937 · 7.5 m
  37. OxfordOxford 1937 · 10.5 m
  38. Martlet IMartlet I 1937 · 8.8 m
  39. SunderlandSunderland 1937 · 26.0 m
  40. BeaufighterBeaufighter 1939 · 12.7 m
  41. ProctorProctor 1939 · 7.9 m
  42. HalifaxHalifax 1939 · 21.8 m
  43. LiberatorLiberator 1939 · 20.6 m
  44. MitchellMitchell 1940 · 16.1 m
  45. MustangMustang 1940 · 9.8 m
  46. Mosquito B.35Mosquito B.35 1940 · 12.3 m
  47. LancasterLancaster 1941 · 21.1 m
  48. ThunderboltThunderbolt 1941 · 11.0 m
  49. Me 163B KometMe 163B Komet 1941 · 5.7 m
  50. FireflyFirefly 1941 · 11.5 m
  51. HadrianHadrian 1942 · 14.8 m
  52. Fa 330Fa 330 1942 · 4.5 m
  53. YorkYork 1942 · 23.9 m
  54. Tempest IITempest II 1942 · 10.5 m
  55. V-1V-1 1942 · 7.7 m
  56. MeteorMeteor 1943 · 13.6 m
  57. VampireVampire 1943 · 9.4 m
  58. OhkaOhka 1944 · 6.1 m
  59. He 162He 162 1944 · 9.1 m
  60. Auster AOP.6Auster AOP.6 1945 · 7.2 m
  61. Sea FurySea Fury 1945 · 10.6 m
  62. DoveDove 1945 · 12.0 m
  63. Sioux AH.1Sioux AH.1 1945 · 9.6 m
  64. PrenticePrentice 1946 · 9.5 m
  65. HastingsHastings 1946 · 24.9 m
  66. ChipmunkChipmunk 1946 · 7.8 m
  67. Sycamore HR.14Sycamore HR.14 1947 · 14.1 m
  68. Sea Hawk FGA.6Sea Hawk FGA.6 1947 · 12.1 m
  69. Sabre F.4Sabre F.4 1947 · 11.4 m
  70. MiG-15bisMiG-15bis 1947 · 10.1 m
  71. T-33AT-33A 1948 · 11.5 m
  72. Viscount 701Viscount 701 1948 · 24.7 m
  73. DragonflyDragonfly 1948 · 17.5 m
  74. Skeeter AOP.12Skeeter AOP.12 1948 · 8.1 m
  75. TutorTutor 1949 · 7.1 m
  76. Shackleton MR.3Shackleton MR.3 1949 · 28.2 m
  77. CanberraCanberra 1949 · 20.0 m
  78. VarsityVarsity 1949 · 20.6 m
  79. Venom FB.4Venom FB.4 1949 · 10.1 m
  80. ProvostProvost 1950 · 8.7 m
  81. Sea PrinceSea Prince 1950 · 14.1 m
  82. P.111AP.111A 1950 · 8.0 m
  83. Valiant B(K).1Valiant B(K).1 1951 · 33.0 m
  84. HunterHunter 1951 · 14.0 m
  85. SwiftSwift 1951 · 12.9 m
  86. Javelin FAW.9Javelin FAW.9 1951 · 17.3 m
  87. Super MagisterSuper Magister 1952 · 10.1 m
  88. VulcanVulcan 1952 · 30.5 m
  89. Mystère IVAMystère IVA 1952 · 12.9 m
  90. VictorVictor 1952 · 35.1 m
  91. HH-43B HuskieHH-43B Huskie 1953 · 7.7 m
  92. Super SabreSuper Sabre 1953 · 16.5 m
  93. WhirlwindWhirlwind 1953 · 14.3 m
  94. LightningLightning 1954 · 16.8 m
  95. Hercules C.3Hercules C.3 1954 · 34.4 m
  96. FD2FD2 1954 · 15.7 m
  97. Twin PioneerTwin Pioneer 1955 · 13.8 m
  98. Gnat T.1Gnat T.1 1955 · 9.7 m
  99. MiG-21PFMiG-21PF 1956 · 14.9 m
  100. UH-1H HueyUH-1H Huey 1956 · 17.4 m
  101. BuccaneerBuccaneer 1958 · 19.3 m
  102. Belvedere HC.1Belvedere HC.1 1958 · 16.6 m
  103. ArgosyArgosy 1959 · 27.2 m
  104. HarrierHarrier 1960 · 14.3 m
  105. Chinook HC.6AChinook HC.6A 1961 · 15.5 m
  106. Trident 2ETrident 2E 1962 · 35.0 m
  107. VC10VC10 1962 · 48.4 m
  108. Dominie T.1Dominie T.1 1962 · 14.5 m
  109. Wasp HAS.1Wasp HAS.1 1962 · 12.3 m
  110. One-Eleven 510EDOne-Eleven 510ED 1963 · 32.6 m
  111. AndoverAndover 1963 · 23.8 m
  112. TSR.2TSR.2 1964 · 27.1 m
  113. F-111EF-111E 1964 · 22.4 m
  114. Puma HC.1Puma HC.1 1965 · 18.2 m
  115. BN-2A-26 IslanderBN-2A-26 Islander 1965 · 10.9 m
  116. Gazelle HCC.4Gazelle HCC.4 1967 · 12.0 m
  117. Nimrod MR.2Nimrod MR.2 1967 · 39.3 m
  118. JaguarJaguar 1968 · 16.8 m
  119. ConcordeConcorde 1969 · 61.7 m
  120. Sea King HAR.3Sea King HAR.3 1969 · 22.2 m
  121. Bulldog T.1Bulldog T.1 1969 · 7.1 m
  122. Mi-24D ‘Hind-D’Mi-24D ‘Hind-D’ 1969 · 17.5 m
  123. Lynx HAS.3Lynx HAS.3 1971 · 15.2 m
  124. Hawk T.1AHawk T.1A 1974 · 11.2 m
  125. Jetstream 31Jetstream 31 1980 · 14.4 m
  126. BAe 146 CC.2BAe 146 CC.2 1981 · 26.2 m
  127. Sea Harrier FA.2Sea Harrier FA.2 1988 · 14.2 m