Aerial Combat in Ww1
Aerial Combat
How it has affected the war and its outcome, or was changed by it:
- Key tasks that aircrafts could perform were discovered, experimented with, and refined: observation and reconnaissance, tactical and strategic bombing, ground attack, and naval warfare.
- Importance and influence of aircraft grew and the need to control the air arose.
- The war fostered the general public’s respect for aviation
- Spawned a new generation of pilots and aircraft designers, who would go on to take human flight to the next level after the war.
Prior to WW1: * In 1913 Roland Garros made the first cross Mediterranean flight, from the south of France to Tunisia. * In the summer of 1914, the airplane was less than 11 years old. Most airplanes of the time were slow and flimsy, with little power. While many countries desired to explore military aviation, the concept of using planes to wage war was still a rather radical idea. * In 1909 Bleriot made the first flight across the English Channel. * After Bleriot 's flight H. G. Wells was to write, prophetically, that "…this is no longer, from a military point of view, an inaccessible island." * In 1911 the Italians, at war with Turkey in Libya, became the first to make military use of the airplane, dropping grenades from a German-built monoplane. In 1912 they also dropped bombs from an airship.
During WWI: * Between 1914 and 1918 aircraft technology developed and was produced extensively * When war broke out the number of aircraft on all sides and all fronts was very small. * France, for example, had less than 140 aircraft at the start of the war. By the end of the war she fielded 4,500 aircraft, more than any other western powers. While this may seem an impressive increase, it does not give a true indication of the amount of aircraft involved. * By the end of the war aircraft were designed for specific tasks. * Louis Strange, an innovative pilot from the
How it has affected the war and its outcome, or was changed by it:
- Key tasks that aircrafts could perform were discovered, experimented with, and refined: observation and reconnaissance, tactical and strategic bombing, ground attack, and naval warfare.
- Importance and influence of aircraft grew and the need to control the air arose.
- The war fostered the general public’s respect for aviation
- Spawned a new generation of pilots and aircraft designers, who would go on to take human flight to the next level after the war.
Prior to WW1: * In 1913 Roland Garros made the first cross Mediterranean flight, from the south of France to Tunisia. * In the summer of 1914, the airplane was less than 11 years old. Most airplanes of the time were slow and flimsy, with little power. While many countries desired to explore military aviation, the concept of using planes to wage war was still a rather radical idea. * In 1909 Bleriot made the first flight across the English Channel. * After Bleriot 's flight H. G. Wells was to write, prophetically, that "…this is no longer, from a military point of view, an inaccessible island." * In 1911 the Italians, at war with Turkey in Libya, became the first to make military use of the airplane, dropping grenades from a German-built monoplane. In 1912 they also dropped bombs from an airship.
During WWI: * Between 1914 and 1918 aircraft technology developed and was produced extensively * When war broke out the number of aircraft on all sides and all fronts was very small. * France, for example, had less than 140 aircraft at the start of the war. By the end of the war she fielded 4,500 aircraft, more than any other western powers. While this may seem an impressive increase, it does not give a true indication of the amount of aircraft involved. * By the end of the war aircraft were designed for specific tasks. * Louis Strange, an innovative pilot from the
References: http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/summary.htm, written by Ari Unikoski, 22 Aug 2009, “Summary of the Air War”. http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/airplane%20at%20war/World%20War%20I%20Aerial%20Combat.htm