One wonders if anyone who walked past the New Types Park at the 1936 Hendon RAF Pageant realised the significance of Nos 1 and 2, the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire prototypes. Just visible too is the tail of the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, destined to become one of the mainstays of Bomber Command during the early part of the war, three years away.

The Boulton and Paul Overstrand medium bomber equipped only one squadron - No 101 - and was the first RAF aircraft to be equipped with an enclosed gun turret mounted in the nose.

With a 20 per cent increase in power over the previous Mark, the Hawker Fury II had a maximum speed of 223 m.p.h. at 16,000ft.

R. J. Mitchell's last biplane flying-boat, the Stranraer, was still in service on the outbreak of war.

The Supermarine Walrus was initially operated in large numbers by the FAA, but on the outbreak of war the RAF used the type successfully in the Air-Sea Rescue role.

Hawker Demons remained in RAF service well into the late Thirties.