Forensic Research Archive of Manipulation and Exploitation
Aircraft of the R.A.F.: Some Famous Types - I, 1941 UK poster: A photographic chart shows ten RAF aircraft types with short

Aircraft of the R.A.F.: Some Famous Types - I

A photographic chart shows ten RAF aircraft types with short captions and a range map from Britain and Egypt. Each caption lists only successes (raids on Berlin, Kiel, Cologne, convoy protection), the tell for card-stacking; no losses or failures appear.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Card stacking
Date
1941
Period
Second World War
Made by
Air Ministry / Ministry of Information, 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 / Ministry of Information, printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Fosh & Cross Ltd, London. US National Archives, NAID 44266192.

Text on the object

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

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

BLENHEIM: Constant scourge of enemy shipping, "Blenheims" also made the great daylight raid on the German power-stations near Cologne.
WELLINGTON: These long-range bombers have flown from England across the Alps to hit targets at Naples in Italy.
SPITFIRE II: Britain's most famous fighter. Now armed with two cannon and four machine guns, or eight machine guns.
HURRICANE II: "Hurricanes" played a leading part in the Battle of Britain. Now armed with twelve machine guns or four 20 m.m. cannon and used for low level bombing.
BEAUFIGHTER: Armed with four cannon and six machine guns, "Beaufighters" have scored great successes against German dive-bombers in Libya.
HAMPDEN: Medium bombers, continuously used in attacking objectives in Germany. "Hampdens" cut the Dortmund-Ems Canal.
HALIFAX: Among many raids carried out by these giant long-range bombers are attacks on the German harbours of Emden and Kiel, also Berlin.
FLYING FORTRESS: Emden, Rotterdam, Kiel and shipping in the Macassar Straits are among targets attacked by "Fortresses."
SUNDERLAND: "Sunderlands" have done brilliant work in guarding British convoys and bombing German submarines. A "Sunderland" weighs 20 tons.
STIRLING: Biggest bombers in the world, "Stirlings" have dropped their immense bomb-loads on Berlin among other targets.

KEY TO MAP
A Approximate range of British "Hurricane" and "Spitfire."
B Approximate range of British "Beaufighter."
C Approximate range of "Blenheim," "Hampden" and Boeing "Flying Fortress" bombers.
D Approximate range of "Wellington" bomber, and Short "Sunderland" flying boat of R.A.F. Coastal Command.
E Approximate range of "Stirling" bomber.
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. S1-2286

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