Patron:  Brigadier-General R I Thorpe CBE, MSD

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Aircraft pictured on this page have all been used by the British airborne forces over the years, for paratroop dropping, air-landing of troops, glider tugs, supply-dropping or parachute training.

Fixed Wing Aircraft

Bristol Bombay	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley	Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle

Handley Page Halifax	Short Stirling	Douglas DC3, C-47, Dakota

Lockheed Hudson	Vickers Armstrong Valetta	Handley Page Hastings

Blackburn Beverley	Armstrong Whitworth Argosy	Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer

Hawker Siddeley Andover	Lockheed C-130 Hercules	Short Skyvan

Gliders

Initial training of glider pilots and glider-borne troops was carried out in the General Aircraft Hotspur, pictured above.
After training, they then graduated to the three gliders pictured below.
From the top, they are the Airspeed AS 51 Horsa, the Waco CG-4A, known in the British forces as the Hadrian, and the General Aircraft GA49 Hamilcar.

Helicopters

Although the ability of a helicopter to land and take off from confined spaces reduced the need for parachute troops, the Westland Whirlwind shown above, was used for parachute training in the 1960's in much the same way as the barrage balloons shown below, from the 1940's to the 1980's, and the Short Skyvan (above) in the 1990's.

Balloons