The RAF BBMF Aircraft Fleet
Some of the 11 BBMF aircraft have remarkable wartime histories of their own and most have defied the odds to survive as flying examples of their kind .
Avro Lancaster PA474 is one of only two of these iconic four-engine heavy bombers still airworthy in the world . It is a flying memorial to the men of RAF Bomber Command , especially the 55,573 who gave their lives during World War Two .
A C-47 Dakota represents the dogged work of the RAF ’ s military transport aircraft and crews .
The Flight ’ s five Supermarine Spitfires range from a 1940 Mk IIa – the only surviving flying Spitfire from the Battle of Britain – through a Mk Vb , a clipped-wing Mk XVI up to two photo-reconnaissance PR Mk XIXs .
The Flight also proudly holds on its strength two Hawker Hurricanes of 1944 vintage , including the last Hurricane ever built , PZ865 , the ‘ Last of the Many ’.
Finally , the two BBMF de Havilland Chipmunk T10 training aircraft make up the full complement .
Apart from their own history , each of the Flight ’ s ‘ warbirds ’ represents a specific aircraft of WW2 with meticulously-researched colour schemes which commemorate particular battles , campaigns or theatres of war , individual units or particular RAF aircrew with stories of amazing and inspirational human endeavour , courage and fortitude .
RAF BBMF Engineering
The maintenance of the Flight ’ s eleven historic aircraft is the responsibility of the RAF BBMF engineering team , which consists of 42 RAF engineering personnel headed by the Flight ’ s Senior Engineering Officer .
This team co-ordinates the aircraft servicing programmes during the winter maintenance period and through the display season , ensuring that the correct number and type of aircraft are available to meet the display commitments .
The BBMF engineers who make up this relatively small team have all volunteered for duties with the Flight and serve a nominal 3 to 5 years tour of duty . A small cadre of full-time-reservist ( FTRS ) technicians with long experience in servicing these historic aircraft provides invaluable knowledge and experience .
Today the BBMF aircraft are perhaps the most cared-for in the world and are certainly maintained to a much higher standard than was possible during World War Two . The long-term preservation of these priceless pieces of our national heritage is planned on a long-term basis , with the ultimate aim of keeping the aircraft flying forever .
Lest We Forget