On the 1st of April 2018, the Royal Air Force will reach a huge milestone in aviation history. The RAF will celebrate its centenary year as legendary aircraft from the first world war era Sopwith Camel, to the Iconic Supermarine Spitfire, through the dazzling Hawker Hunter all the way up to the awesome power of the current Eurofighter Typhoon mark 100 years of continuous all year round operation of one of the most famous air forces in the world.

The RAF saw its creation in the dark days of World War I, when on April 1st 1918, the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS) were amalgamated into the Royal Air Force, forming the basis of what we all know today. Of course later, the Fleet Air Arm would eventually be formed separate out from the RAF, taking naval aviation under the control of the Royal Navy for carrier and maritime operations.

In the skies of War Thunder, the British have been present in battle since the very beginning. Ranging from the vulnerable Fury and Gladiators of the first rank, through the Iconic Hurricanes and reliable Wellingtons of the second rank, to the more powerful Typhoons and Iconic Spitfires of the third rank and into the mighty Lancasters, Tempests and Mosquitoes of the fourth rank. Originally, the Gloster Meteors saw Britain into the top ranks, but since then, they have been bolstered by additional support from the Canberra bombers and the Hawker Hunter, a true top star of the British tree. We have also seen the arrival of the Griffon Spitfires into rank IV as well as many other British classics across the ranks, such as the Sunderland, Halifax, Stirling, Venom, Hampden and the Lincoln.

Just as her majesty’s RAF continues to defend the skies above Great Britain in the 21st century and beyond, so too will they act as the majestic knights of the sky in War Thunder!