Aces of the First World War

The pilots of the First World war flew in very flimsy planes with open cockpits. These planes were made from a variety of materials including wood, canvas and several different metals. The design of the airplane, as you can see from the image below, was quite different from the planes that we see nowadays.

During the war a number of technological advances were made. The machine gun was placed at the front of the plane and fired between the propeller blades. Previously a gunner had to sit in the plane and fire to the sides. Alterations also made planes faster and more maneuverable in the air. This led to them being used for some attacks on enemy positions as well as for scouting. 

Stories about the flying aces of the war, such as the Red Baron, and the history of aviation in the First World War can be read in more detail at the excellent World War One Aviation website.

 

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