The RAF on 31st March 1929
On 31st March 1929 the Royal Air Force had 826 aircraft in the equivalent of 72½ squadrons
The RAF Proper had 682 aircraft in 61½ squadrons.
Metropolitan Air Force 434 aircraft in 39 squadrons
Air Defence of Great Britain Command 342 aircraft in 30 squadrons as follows:
70 night bombers in 7 squadrons
128 day bombers in 11 squadrons (10 squadrons of 10 and one squadron of 8)
144 fighters in 12 squadrons
Inland Area 84 aircraft in 7 squadrons
60 army co-operation aircraft in 5 squadrons
24 day bombers in 2 emergency squadrons
Coastal Area
8 flying boats in 2 coastal reconnaissance squadrons
Overseas Commands 248 aircraft in 22½ squadrons
RAF Mediterranean
12 seaplanes in one coastal reconnaissance squadron
RAF Middle East (Egypt and the Sudan) 46 aircraft in 4 squadrons
24 day bombers in 2 squadrons
12 army co-operation squadrons in one squadron
10 bomber-transports in one squadron
Palestine Command
12 day bombers in one squadron
Iraq Command 50 aircraft in 5 squadrons
36 day bombers in 3 squadrons
10 bomber-transports in one squadron
4 flying boats in one squadron
Aden Command
12 day bombers in one squadron
RAF India 100 aircraft in 8 squadrons and one flight
48 day bombers in 4 squadrons
48 army co-operation aircraft in 4 squadrons
4 bomber-transports in one flight
RAF Far East
4 flying boats in one squadron
The Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force had 144 aircraft in 24 flights (the equivalent of 12 squadrons)
48 fleet fighters in 8 flights
66 fleet spotter reconnaissance aircraft in 11 flights
30 fleet torpedo aircraft in 5 flights
The above doesn't include 2 day bomber squadrons which were part of the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) in the Inland Area because they only existed on a skeleton basis. It doesn't include No. 24 (Communications) Squadron either.
Under the Expansion Scheme approved in 1923 the A.D.G.B. Command should have had 594 aircraft in 52 squadrons by 31st March 1928 as follows:
150 Night Bombers in 15 squadrons of 10
240 Day Bombers in 20 squadrons of 12
204 Fighters in 17 squadrons of 12
However, on 3rd December 1925 the completion date was put back to 31st March 1935. Then on 11th December 1929 the completion date of the scheme was put back to 31st March 1938 and the 2 emergency squadrons were now counted as part of the Home Defence Force.
Squadrons formed 1929-34
Actually added between 1929 and March 1934 were 120 aircraft in the equivalent of 12½ squadrons
70 aircraft in 6 squadrons were added to the A.D.G.B. Command
10 night bombers in one squadron
48 day bombers in 4 squadrons
12 fighters in one squadron
8 flying boats in 2 squadrons were added to the Coastal Area
24 torpedo bombers in 2 squadrons were added to RAF Far East
18 aircraft in 3 flights were added to the FAA
The RAF on 31st March 1934
Thus on 31st March 1934 the RAF had 958 aircraft in the equivalent of 86 squadrons as follows:
524 aircraft in 48 squadrons in the Metropolitan Air Force
448 aircraft in 39 squadrons in the Air Defence of Great Britain
80 night bombers in 8 squadrons
212 day bombers in 18 squadrons (17 of 12 and one of 8) including the 2 emergency squadrons
156 fighters in 13 squadrons
Inland Area
60 army co-operation aircraft in 5 squadrons
Coastal Area
16 flying boats in 4 coastal reconnaissance squadrons
272 aircraft in 24½ squadrons in the Overseas Commands
144 day bombers in 12 squadrons
24 bomber-transports in 2 squadrons and one flight
60 army co-operation aircraft in 5 squadrons
24 torpedo bombers in 2 squadrons
8 flying boats in 2 coastal reconnaissance squadrons
12 seaplanes in one coastal reconnaissance squadron
162 aircraft in the equivalent of 13½ squadrons (actually 12 squadrons, but some under strength and 6 flights)
36 fleet fighters in 4 squadrons but 2 at half-strength
54 fleet spotter reconnaissance in 5 squadrons (3 of 12 and 2 of 9)
36 fleet torpedo aircraft in 3 squadrons
36 catapult aircraft in 6 flights
There was also No. 24 (Communications) Squadron in A.D.G.B. and the 2 skeleton day bomber squadrons attached to the A&AEE in the Inland Area.
Finance
The Net Air Estimates over this period were:
1928-29 £16,250,000
1929-30 £16,200,000
1930-31 £17,850,000
1931-32 £18,100,000
1932-33 £17,400,000
1933-34 £17,426,000
1934-35 £17,561,000
Personnel
Vote A (Numbers) over this period was:
1928-29 32,500
1929-30 32,000
1930-31 32,000
1931-32 32,000
1932-33 32,000
1933-34 31,000
1934-35 31,000