War

Our planet has seen two major worlds wars, as well as many conflicts, and the airplane has played a big part in determining who would be the victor. He who has the newer technology is inevitably successful or scouting, shooting, delivering paratroopers and payloads. Advances in aerodynamics, along with more precise aiming, were instrumental in the battle of success. Who can forget the Kamikaze pilots of Japan who used their airplanes as a weapon?

The Role Airplanes Played In World War 1

One of the periods where aviation took some massive leaps in development was WW1. European governments invested big budgets for developing airplanes that would come out on top. Military aviation soon transformed from observation balloons to the first fighter planes. Let’s take a look at how airplanes were used in WW1.

World War I was the first global conflict in world history, where aircraft were often used. Over time they became an effective weapon against an enemy army. The aircraft used during the first war had an archaic and sometimes extravagant design. Due to the escalating war, aircraft builders were forced to react quickly to changes and improvements.

War as the Engine of Progress

The First World War was a powerful driving force behind the development of aviation. Governments have provided significant funding to develop new aircraft models. These projects have also led to the development of many upgraded older models. Since then, airplane production has become a profitable business.

At the beginning of the war, there was only one type of military warplane: the response or reconnaissance aircraft. At the end of the war, military aviation was divided into several groups: fighters, bombers, planes of attack, and so on. They varied in size, the number of engines, size of crew and installation of specific equipment: fire, bomber, navigation.

The most important developments in the design of military aircraft were in countries such as England, France, and Germany. Shortly thereafter, the United States and Italy joined. Russia took its seat due to weak industrialization.

Aircraft of World War I

Let’s look at World War I airplanes from their respective countries of production.

US Aircraft of WWI

We must bear in mind that, as a result of the country’s subsequent intervention in the conflict, the US Air Force developed rather slowly. At the time of 1917, American aircraft development was lower than the other major countries involved in the war. At that time, the United States dropped bombers and hunters. The US Army used the aircraft solely for caller missions.

German Aircraft of WWI

We should consider that the German Air Force was the second-largest aircraft manufacturer in the First World War. The total number of their fleets reached about 230 aircraft. They were widely used for transport operations because they couldn’t handle a lot more than that. However, we can not assume that most of their aircraft were outdated models.

During the war, however, the Germans were the first to modernize their aircraft fleet, allowing them to control the air in Western Europe in 1915 and 1916. The Germans, too, were the first to lead in an aerial bombing. Germany did not hesitate to use aircraft to bomb enemies at all. This strategy was effective and caused the feared air force branch of the Luftwaffe to form in 1939 during World War II.

Russion Aircraft of WWI

The Russian Empire had the largest fleet of warplanes in the world at the time of World War I’s declaration: about 260 aircraft. However, the quality of Russian aircraft was much lower than in most other countries of the world. Airplane materials and modules were out of date, and aviation suffered at the start of the war.

Despite their size, their air fleets did not save the Russian empire from defeat in the war. Still, the most outdated, the situation worsened in 1916. It was then that the Italians and the Austrians built their fleets against Russia, and they were victorious.

During this period, due to financial difficulties, Russia could not produce enough new warplanes. Due to the imminent crisis, obsolete technology was not allowed to deal with serious developments. As a result, Russian aviation remained in the shadows.

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