Pilots prepare to take photos of enemy land in Wilbur Wright Flyer: Image courtesy of the Smithsonian
World War I
German fighter plane, 1917: Image courtesy of Britannica
"The remarkable advances made in aviation during the World War are still the core of air power today."
~ Indiana Neidell, American Historian
Before World War I, few military aircraft existed besides the Wright Military Flyers. It wasn't until the beginning of the war that countries quickly saw the importance of military aircraft in a warzone.
WWI Pilot, 1914: Image courtesy of the United States Airforce
The first military airplanes were not offensive weapons, but scouts. Airplanes were a more effective alternative to horseback or balloons for gaining knowledge of the opposing side. Large cameras would later be attached to take photos, but this was risky as many airplanes were subject to enemy fire due to the need to fly low to capture images.
"The most obvious turning point was in World War I. Benefits of aviation finally began to prove themselves and the world realized their importance."
~ John Jumper, USAF Chief of Staff and Aerospace CEO
The British were the first to weaponize aircraft by mounting a machine gun on a Vickers biplane in 1915. Other nations recognized the war fighting potential and quickly followed suit. This was just the beginning of the rapid advancement of both the airplane and their combat capability in WWI and beyond. The destructive power of the new air battlefield was clear and nations began to quickly invent and test new technologies.
Vickers Fighting Biplane "Gunbus": Image courtesy of History.net
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