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Royal Mail releases RAF commemorative stamps

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England’s Royal Mail has issued a collection of stamps to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force.

The iconic aircraft depicted span the Force’s 100-year history and feature original artwork by renowned aviation artist Michael Turner.

The commemorative stamps.

Featured on the stamps are the First World War era Sopwith Camel F1, the Hurricane Mk 1 from the Battle of Britain, a Vulcan B2, the Lightning F6, the Nimrod MR2 and Typhoon FGR4.

The Red Arrows also feature in images that show the aerobatic display team in full flight during four formations – Flypast, Swan, Syncho and Python.

The four stamps featuring the Red Arrows in the commemorative set.

On April 1, 1918, the union of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps formed the world’s first independent air force: The Royal Air Force (RAF). The RAF fought over the Western Front in direct support of ground forces. It played a major role in blunting the German spring 1918 offensive and in the Allies’ final counter-attacks, which led to the surrender of German forces in November 1918.

During the Second World War, the RAF played a decisive role defending the United Kingdom, operating worldwide with increasing strength and providing support to the war at sea and on land.

Victory in the Battle of Britain in 1940 was crucial to securing the country’s survival and preserving its ability to wage war alongside its allies. The strategic bomber campaign steadily eroded Germany’s will and capability to fight, while the winning of the Battle of the Atlantic ensured that the lifeline from the USA was maintained.

The RAF also supported land forces in North Africa and Burma, which was critical to the Allies’ eventual success. The establishment of air superiority in the build-up to D-Day, and direct support for the invasion of Normandy in June 1944, paved the way for the advance into Germany and final victory.

The RAF began the Second World War with around 3,550 aircraft, including biplanes and many obsolete models. Five years later, the service had 9,200 aircraft, many of advanced design, including the only jets to be operated by the Allied air forces. By the end of the war, there were 1,079,835 RAF, Dominion and Allied officers and airmen serving, alongside 158,771 women, giving a total RAF strength of 1,238,606, including 193,313 aircrew.

Throughout the post-war era, RAF transport aircraft have delivered humanitarian aid worldwide in the wake of natural disasters, be it famine, earthquake or hurricane. The RAF has seen many cultural changes and reorganisations in recent years, including the introduction of women in combat. It remains ready and able to operate around the world across the spectrum of air warfare.

The Stamps

Sopwith Camel F1

The Sopwith Camel was a single-seat biplane fighter, which entered service on the Western Front in May 1917. By the end of the First World War, almost 5,500 had been produced, and it had become the most successful Allied fighter, being credited with shooting down 1,294 enemy aircraft. The Camel was also used in the ground attack role. Powered by a single rotary engine, it was extremely manoeuvrable but difficult to handle for inexperienced pilots. It was flown by some of the most famous pilots, including Captain AR Brown of No. 209 Squadron, who was credited with shooting down Baron von Richthofen, the ‘Red Baron’.

Hurricane MK1

The single-engine Hawker Hurricane powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine first flew in November 1935. It was to achieve immortal fame during the Battle of Britain, equipping 33 squadrons. It went on to serve as a fighter and a ground-attack aircraft in every theatre of war and with numerous air forces. It was capable of withstanding extensive battle damage. Hawker Hurricane PZ865 was the last of 14,533 Hurricanes built and named The Last of the Many. It now flies with the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Lightning F6

The English Electric P1 first flew on Aug. 4, 1954. Development of this prototype led to the Lightning F1, which entered operational squadron service as an all-weather interceptor capable of flying at twice the speed of sound (Mach 2) in July 1960. The Lightning equipped ten squadrons in the United Kingdom, Germany, Cyprus and Singapore. The final version – the F6 – was powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon 310 engines with afterburner. Its spectacular rate of climb and supersonic speed allowed it to intercept aircraft at heights in excess of 50,000 feet (15km), and the aircraft played a key part in policing UK airspace for two decades, frequently intercepting Soviet Air Force bombers.

Vulcan B2

The unique delta-wing Avro Vulcan was the second of the RAF’s V-bombers designed to carry a nuclear bomb. It first entered RAF service in 1957, with the more powerful Mk2 following three years later, and eventually equipped nine squadrons. The force formed part of the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent until 1969, when the role was passed to the Royal Navy’s Polaris submarine fleet. Two squadrons served in Cyprus and were assigned to the Central Treaty Organisation. As a conventional bomber, the Vulcan carried up to 21 1,000lb (450kg) bombs. The aircraft’s only operational missions took place during the Falklands War in May 1982, when the Black Buck raids were made against the airfield and radars at Stanley.

Typhoon FGR4

The RAF’s latest combat aircraft, the extremely agile single-seat, twin-engine Typhoon first entered squadron service in March 2007 and assumed responsibility for the UK Quick Reaction Alert in June 2007. It was initially operated in the air defence role, but the latest version, the FGR4, has a multi-role capability and has been deployed to the Middle East for operations over Libya, Iraq and Syria. The aircraft’s sophisticated electronics and suite of precision-guided weapons enables it to pinpoint targets with great accuracy. Typhoon squadrons continue to police UK airspace and in recent years have been deployed to Eastern Europe and the Baltic for NATO air defence operations.

Nimrod MR2

The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2 was modified from the de Havilland Comet 4 airliner. The long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine Nimrod entered RAF service in 1969. Powered by four Rolls-Royce Spey engines, it had a cavernous bomb bay that could hold a variety of weapons and sensors. With its long range, it could operate well north of Iceland and to mid-Atlantic, and at an even longer range with air-to-air refuelling. Its crew of ten or so had a wide array of sophisticated sensors to track submarines and surface ships. Three aircraft were equipped with special electronic equipment for intelligence-gathering missions. Nimrods played a crucial role in recent conflicts in the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan. The MR2 was withdrawn from service in 2010.

The RAF Red Arrows Aerobatic Team

The RAF Red Arrows Aerobatic Team has been displaying since 1965. One of the premier aerobatic teams in the world, comprising 120 people, including pilots, engineers and support staff, it is based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. The pilots fly the Hawk T1 at speeds in excess of 600 mph and in total have flown almost 4,900 displays.

Red Arrows Python formation.
Red Arrows Synchro formation
Red Arrows Fly Past formation.
Red Arrows Swan Formation.

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Comments

  1. The Uruguayan Air Force was created in 1913. So “the world’s first independent air force: The Royal Air Force (RAF)” created in 1918 is no exactly true.

  2. Though I’m an Iowa farm boy, I was introduced to aviation, by the RAF, during the Suez Canal Crisis, I later used this background as a bush pilot, in northern Canada. I received the Medal of Bravery, from the federal government of Canada, as a result of my flying exploits. Flying has always been a great joy!
    Neale C. Thompson
    817 2nd St. W.
    Northfield, MN 55057