"Not to have an adequate air force in the present state of the world is to compromise the foundations of national freedom and independence."
-Winston Churchill, June 14, 1942
RAF Planes
Spitfire. Click to Enlarge.
The two standard issue planes of the Royal Air Force (RAF) were the Hurricane MK11a and the Spitfire MK1. The Spitfires used the Browning .303, which was a more powerful weapon than the standard issued Luftwaffe machine gun. The MK11a, which had recently been put into service by the British government, was a faster and more powerful plane than its Luftwaffe counterpart.
Luftwaffe Planes
Messerschmitt BF110C. Click to Enlarge.
The standard issue aircraft for the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) was the Messerschmitt BF109E and the Messerschmitt BF110C. At the start of the war, these German planes were superior to the RAF planes until the Spitfires were armed with a better machine gun and the MK11a was put into service. This greatly lowered German chances of victory in the battle.