The RNAS expanded far beyond direct naval support and came close to being an independent air force in its own right. When the services amalgamated, however, the Royal Flying Corps was larger. Its personnel, especially the bombing group, exercised greater influence within the new Royal Air Force. That institutional inheritance shaped RAF developments in the 1930s, although its advocates sincerely believed their approach was correct.
Chapter · 12:14-13:01
RNAS growth shapes the balance inside the new RAF
The RNAS had developed many features of an independent air force, but the larger RFC supplied the institutional weight that shaped the RAF and its later bombing culture.