Forensic Research Archive of Manipulation and Exploitation
Aircraft of the R.A.F., Some Famous Types - II, 1941 UK poster: A recognition-style sheet shows ten RAF aircraft types

Aircraft of the R.A.F., Some Famous Types - II

A recognition-style sheet shows ten RAF aircraft types in photographs on blue, each with a short caption of successes, and a range map from Britain and Egypt. The card-stacking tell is that every caption reports victories or capability ('proof of Britain's great and growing air-power') and none reports losses.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Card stacking
Date
1941
Period
Second World War
Made by
Air Ministry / British government, printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Fosh & Cross Ltd., London
Region
Western and Central Europe
Country
United Kingdom
Medium
Poster
Issuer type
State
Regime
Churchill Government
Leader
Winston Churchill
Audience
Domestic public
Purpose
Reassure
Themes
War and the military, Science and technology
Event
World War II
Regime
Churchill wartime government
Leader
Winston Churchill
Source
Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
Source
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
Rights
Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
Air Ministry / British government, printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Fosh & Cross Ltd., London; U.S. National Archives, WWII Foreign Posters, 44-PF-68b, NAID 44266194.

Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

AIRCRAFT OF THE R.A.F.
Some Famous Types - II.

HAVOC
Heavily-armed, "Havoc" night-fighters have destroyed many German raiders over Britain. Speed 315 m.p.h.

MARTLET
"The Barrel," as British pilots call the "Martlet," is the fastest plane in service with the Fleet Air Arm.

HUDSON
"Hudsons" have flown millions of miles and tens of thousands of hours on reconnaissance patrol and bombing sorties.

WHITLEY
"Whitley" heavy bombers have flown from England to Turin to blast important industrial targets.

MANCHESTER
The biggest two-engined bombers in the world, "Manchesters" are proof of Britain's great and growing air-power.

MARYLAND
Ranging far and wide over the Mediterranean, "Maryland" bombers have hit Italian shipping, ports and troop concentrations.

TOMAHAWK
These fast, deadly, American-built fighters have many successes over Italian and German types in the Western Desert.

LIBERATOR
An American-built "Liberator" bomber flew the Atlantic in 8 hours and 23 minutes. These aircraft are on constant reconnaissance patrol and convoy guards.

DEFIANT
"Defiants" stalk by night and the intense fire from their multi-gun turrets has been the end of many German bombers.

CATALINA
It was a "Catalina" flying-boat that shadowed the German battleship "Bismarck" for 20 hours through dirty weather. "Catalinas" are reconnaissance and patrol bombers.

KEY TO MAP
A Approximate range of "Tomahawk" fighter.
B Approximate range of "Martlet," "Havoc," "Whitley" and "Maryland."
C Approximate range of "Hudson" bomber.
D Approximate range of "Liberator" bomber.
E Approximate range of "Catalina" flying boat.
Arrows represent approximate operational range of each type of plane. (Total flying distance is double.)

PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY FOSH & CROSS LTD., LONDON. 51-2286

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