New details of the much-anticipated VE Day flypast in central London have been announced. Twenty-three military aircraft will fly over The Mall and Buckingham Palace following a military procession, as thousands below watch on.

The flypast on Monday’s Bank Holiday will be central to what is the first of four days of celebrations marking the Allies’ Second World War victory in Europe. The flypast will begin at 13:45 and last for approximately five minutes. A Lancaster bomber will be the only aircraft from the conflict taking part, with Spitfire and Hurricane fighter planes flown by the pilots known as ‘The Few’ during the Battle of Britain not making an appearance.

Here’s a look at the aircraft and some facts and figures of each aircraft.

Wave one - Lancaster

The flypast will take part in six waves, with the first featuring the unmistakable roar of the Lancaster from the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF).

Powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, the Lancaster is the most famous and successful RAF heavy bomber from the Second World War.

The aircraft flying over London was built in May 1945 and is just one of only two airworthy Lancasters left in the world.

It is probably best known for its role on Operation Chastise in 1943 using bouncing bombs to destroy German dams in the Ruhr Valley. The mission was later immortalised in the 1955 Dambusters film.

The BBMF’s Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft will be flying over other locations over the four days of commemorations.

Wave two - Voyager and Atlas A400M 

Two giants of the RAF fleet will follow the Lancaster.

The 193ft Voyager is the RAF’s only air-to-air refuelling capability.

It is a modified version of the civilian Airbus A330-200 passenger aircraft, capable of carrying 291 people and cargo over long distances.

It carries fuel in tanks in its wings, centre and tail, refuelling other aircraft high in the sky on operations. 

The Voyager will be joined by an A400m Atlas transport aircraft, capable of carrying a 30-tonne payload over 2,400 nautical miles.

The Atlas can operate from short, unpaved runways and was crucial in the evacuation of Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021.

It has a maximum payload of 37 tonnes and can carry 116 passengers.

Wave three - C-17 Globemaster

Another colossus of the RAF will follow in wave three, the C-17 Globemaster long-range, heavy-lift strategic transport aircraft.

It can rapidly deploy troops and cargo across the world, capable of moving 45 tonnes of freight more than 4,500 nautical miles.

The C-17 is 174ft in length, with a wingspan of nearly 169ft.

Wave four - P-8A Poseidon and Typhoon

Wave four will see the first fight appearance by a fighter jet.

Two Typhoon combat aircraft, with a top speed of Mach 1.8, will fly over central London.

The jets are the backbone of the RAF’s combat fleet and are used in a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) role to protect British airspace, ready to react at a moment’s notice.

They have also been used to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and over the years have carried out several strikes on the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Earlier this week, Typhoons took part in strikes on the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

A P-8A Poseidon submarine hunter aircraft will join the Typhoons.

The Poseidon, based at RAF Lossiemouth, is one of the newest RAF planes.

It is a maritime patrol aircraft that uses sonobuoys to search for enemy submarines beneath the waves. 

The ninth and final Poseidon arrived in 2022, with the fleet costing £3 billion in total.

Wave five - Rivet Joint and F-35B Lightning 

Britain’s most advanced warplane will make its first appearance of the flypast in wave five.

The F-35B is the UK’s only fifth-generation fighter and is packed with sophisticated sensors and technology.

The stealth aircraft has short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability, allowing it to operate from the Navy’s aircraft carriers.

It has a maximum speed of Mach 1.6 and can carry out air-to-air, air-to-surface, electronic warfare and intelligence collection missions.

It will be joined by the Rivet Joint, an electronic surveillance aircraft which uses its sensors to absorb electronic emissions from communications, radar and other systems.

Wave six - Red Arrows and F-35B

The finale will star the unmistakable Red Arrows and their iconic blue, white and red smoke trails to bring a colourful end to the flypast.

The Red Arrows are the RAF’s aerobatic display team, operating nimble Hawk T1 jets. 

The team has performed across the world and last year toured Canada to celebrate their diamond anniversary.

Four F-35Bs will join the Red Arrows in the finale of the flypast which officials say is subject to weather, aircraft serviceability and operational commitments.

The aircraft will take off from RAF stations around the UK, joining holding patterns around south-east England before coming together in formation for the flypast.