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[[Image:GASJV.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A restored RAF Supermarine Spitfire. This type of aircraft played a major role in World War II (photo copyright Ian Older -- Used with permission)]]

[[Image:GASJV.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A restored RAF Supermarine Spitfire. This type of aircraft played a major role in World War II (photo copyright Ian Older -- Used with permission)]]

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the flying branch of the British military. The RAF is most notably known for defending the [[British Isles]] against the German [[Luftwaffe]] during the early stages of [[World War II]] and, in conjuction with the USAAF, the saturation bombing of German cities later in the war. Of their role in the [[Battle of Britain]], [[Winston Churchill|Churchill]] said:

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the flying branch of the British military. The RAF is most notably known for defending the [[British Isles]] against the German [[Luftwaffe]] during the early stages of [[World War II]] and, in conjuction with the USAAF, the saturation bombing of German cities later in the war. Of their role in the [[Battle of Britain]], [[Winston Churchill|Churchill]] said:

:Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.

:''"Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few"''

The RAF was founded on April 1st, 1918, by a merger of the RAC and the RNAS, the aviation elements of the British Army and Royal Navy, and is still in existence today, with just shy of 1000 aircraft in April of 2006.

The RAF was founded on April 1st, 1918, by a merger of the RAC and the RNAS, the aviation elements of the British Army and Royal Navy, and is still in existence today, with just shy of 1000 aircraft in April of 2006.