[Pursuivant]

This is a simplified listing of aircraft which were used operationally by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm from 1939 to 1942.

In the first part of World War II, the Royal Navy had three major goals: Keep the German fleet "bottled up," protect convoys from patrol bombers and U-boats, and maintain control of the Suez Canal by controlling the Mediterranean. It was also called upon to protect evacuation operations as British and allied forces were evacuated from the continent in Norway, France, and Greece.

Due to pre-war treaty and budget constraints there were relatively few FAA aircraft and just a few large aircraft carriers. Rapid changes in aircraft technology, as well as some faulty assumptions about carrier aircraft performance, meant that many FAA aircraft were obsolete before they entered service.

Starred aircraft are those which played particularly important roles that year. Depending on which element of the FAA's history you are studying certain aircraft become more or less important.

1939
Carrier Fighter: Sea Gladiator I, II
Carrier Fighter/Dive Bomber: Skua II*
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Swordfish I*
Carrier Turret Fighter: Blackburn Roc
Catapult Recon Seaplane: Seafox, Swordfish I (float)
Catapult ASR/Recon Flying Boat: Seagull V, Walrus I
Liaison & Transport: Dominie II, Flamingo

1940
Carrier Fighter: Martlet I*, Sea Gladiator I, II*, Field Mod (extra guns)
Carrier Fighter/Dive Bomber: Skua II
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Fulmar I*
Carrier Turret Fighter: Blackburn Roc
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Albacore I, Swordfish I*
Catapult Fighter: Sea Hurricane IA*
Catapult Recon Seaplane: Seafox, Swordfish I (float)
Catapult ASR/Recon Flying Boats: Seagull V, Walrus I*
Land-based Fighter: Buffalo I.
Land-Based Recon/Light Patrol Bomber: Maryland I
Liaison & Transport: Dominie II, D.H. 86 Express, Flamingo.

1941
Carrier Fighter: Martlet II*, III*, IV*, Sea Gladiator II*, Field Mod (extra guns), Sea Hurricane IB, IC*
Carrier Fighter/Dive Bomber: Skua II
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Fulmar I, II*
Carrier Night Fighter: Fulmar NF II
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Albacore I, Swordfish I*
Carrier Torpedo/Dive Bomber: Barracuda II*
Catapult ASR/Recon Flying Boat: Seagull V, Walrus I, II
Catapult Fighter: Sea Hurricane IA*
Catapult Recon Seaplane: Seafox, Swordfish I (float)
Land-based Fighter: Buffalo I
Land-based Recon/Light Patrol Bomber: Maryland I
Liaison & Transport: Avro 652, Dominie II, D.H. 86 Express, Flamingo, Lysander IIIA

1942
Carrier Fighter: Sea Hurricane IB, IC, IIC*, XIIA, Seafire IB, F.IIc*, L(F).IIc*
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Fulmar I, II*
Carrier Night Fighter: Fulmar NF II
Carrier Recon Fighter: Seafire FR.IIc
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Albacore I*, Swordfish I*
Catapult ASR/ Recon Flying Boat: Sea Otter I, II, Walrus I, II
Catapult Fighter: Sea Hurricane IA
Catapult Recon Seaplane: Kingfisher I, Seafox, Swordfish I (float)
Land-based Recon/Light Patrol Bomber: Maryland I
Liaison & Transport: Avro 652, Dominie II, D.H. 86 Express, Flamingo, JRF Goose I, Lysander IIIA.