War in the air

1. War in the air

2. Aircrafts at these times were very special, they could spy over an enemy’s headquarters, the could take pictures from a bird’s eye view and most importantly they could bomb and shoot the enemy from high up. • These are some types of aircraft designs: • Mono-plane Bi-plane Tri-plane Pusher engine Tractor engine (motor in front) • Read more: Pusher engine Tri-plane

3. At first, aircrafts were similar observation aircrafts but pilots would use pistols, rifles grenades and machine guns with varying effects even grappling hooks were tried. The French Morane-Saulnier monoplane, armed with forward firing machine guns through the propeller was introduced in April 1915. • The first true fighter (designed only to shoot down other aircraft) was the German Fokker E1monoplane with synchronized forward firing machine. This was introduced later that summer. The British adapted the De Havilland DH2and the Royal Aircraft Factory FE2 with some success later still. The British designs used a "pusher engine" which meant the engine and propeller was at the back of the aircraft. This allowed the pilot or a 2nd gunner to fire a machine gun forward without being obstructed by the propeller. Fokker E1 Factory FE2

4. Aircrafts were first used to observe enemy moves, nobody saw them as a weapons yet. Pilots started adding machine guns to the planes and this idea spread out. The planes were used for: • Aerial Reconnaissance & Photography • Spotting for Artillery • Ground Attack • Strategic Bombing • Air-to-Air Combat - remove threat of enemy aircraft • In world war II, the Japanese Kamikaze found another use of planes, kamikaze were suicide planes. The pilot would have to drive the plane into battleships. They gave their life away for their country. Kamikaze plane flying into battleships

5. Planes like “ The Mentor” could land on water, they found this very special but didn’t use them that much.

6. Famous Pilots: • Major Lanoe G. Hawker was a famous British pilot who was in a dogfight with the top German ace Oswald Boelcke when the German accidently collided with his wingman and fell to his death. • Baron Manfred von Richthofenwas known as the 'Red Baron' and was the most successful pilot of WWI with 80 confirmed kills before he was shot down during the Battle of the Somme. • Lt Werner Voss was the highest scoring German ace early in the war and every pilot including Manfred von Richthofen were trying to top his score. He received one of the prototype Fokker Dr-1,Total kills 48. Major Lanoe G. Hawker Baron Manfred von Richthofen Lt Werner Voss