When war broke out in 1914 neither side expected aircraft to play little if any part in the conflict. Aircraft were only used for observation and were not armed. There were no tactics in place on how air warfare should be fought. Because of this early pilots could not be trained in the art of air warfare and so they created their own tactics. At the start of the war the main use of aircraft was for reconnaissance. However the opposing side would want to stop this. So fighter planes were developed to shoot down these reconnaissance planes. USE OF AIRCRAFT:- When war broke out in 1914 the sole purpose of aircraft was to observe the enemy’s positions and movements. However these planes began getting shot down by other reconnaissance pilots firing hand guns or rifles from their cockpits. So now a new type of plane was needed to protect your own reconnaissance planes and shoot down the enemy’s. And so the fighter was born. During WWI there were three main types and uses of airplanes. One was the reconnaissance plane which observed the enemy's positions and movements. Another was the fighter plane whose role was to shoot down the enemy's planes and protect your own unarmed reconnaissance planes. The third type of aircraft was the bomber, which was used to bomb the enemy’s ground positions. At the start of the war neither side expected aircraft to play a major role in the conflict, yet it very quickly became apparent that aircraft were going to be vital to either side if they were going to win the war. This meant that aircraft developed at an incredible pace during the course of the war and cemented the aeroplanes role as a weapon of war.

When war broke out in 1914 neither side expected aircraft to play little if any part in the conflict. Aircraft were only used for observation and were not armed. There were no tactics in place on how air warfare should be fought. Because of this early pilots could not be trained in the art of air warfare and so they created their own tactics. At the start of the war the main use of aircraft was for reconnaissance. However the opposing side would want to stop this. So fighter planes were developed to shoot down these reconnaissance planes. German Aircraft:- When war broke out in 1914 the sole purpose of aircraft was to observe the enemy’s positions and movements. However these planes began getting shot down by other reconnaissance pilots firing hand guns or rifles from their cockpits. So now a new type of plane was needed to protect your own reconnaissance planes and shoot down the enemy’s. And so the fighter was born. There are several iconic German aircraft from WWI, the most famous being The Red Barons Fokker DR.I triplane which was painted bright red to intimidate opponents. Germany produced the largest aircraft of the war with its massive Staaken R.IV’s. These massive bombers had a wingspan of 42 metres and weighed 13 tons when fully loaded. They where used to bomb London and other British cities. Another famous airplane is the Fokker Eindecker E.III. It was the first plane fitted with a machine gun and an interrupter gear, which allowed the machine gun to fire through the propeller. Almost all aircraft during the war where fitted with and interrupter gear that was copied of the Eindecker.

When war broke out in 1914 neither side expected aircraft to play little if any part in the conflict. Aircraft were only used for observation and were not armed. There were no tactics in place on how air warfare should be fought. Because of this early pilots could not be trained in the art of air warfare and so they created their own tactics. At the start of the war the main use of aircraft was for reconnaissance. However the opposing side would want to stop this. So fighter planes were developed to shoot down these reconnaissance planes. Allied Aircraft:- When war broke out in 1914 the sole purpose of aircraft was to observe the enemy’s positions and movements. However these planes began getting shot down by other reconnaissance pilots firing hand guns or rifles from their cockpits. So now a new type of plane was needed to protect your own reconnaissance planes and shoot down the enemy’s. And so the fighter was born. The Sopwith Camel was the most effective fighter of the war, with over 1,200 kills even though it was only introduced in However it required an experienced pilot to fly and accidents in training were common. The Spad XIII was one of the most popular fighters made. During 1917 more Spads were produced then any other fighter models. It was especially popular with French fighter squadrons. The RAF S.E.5a was the British workhorse. Although less manoeuvrable then the Camel it was superior in speed, easier to handle and was a better gun platform. Many Allied aces flew this plane including Albert Ball and Billy Bishop

When war broke out in 1914 neither side expected aircraft to play little if any part in the conflict. Aircraft were only used for observation and were not armed. There were no tactics in place on how air warfare should be fought. Because of this early pilots could not be trained in the art of air warfare and so they created their own tactics. At the start of the war the main use of aircraft was for reconnaissance. However the opposing side would want to stop this. So fighter planes were developed to shoot down these reconnaissance planes. When war broke out in 1914 the sole purpose of aircraft was to observe the enemy’s positions and movements. However these planes began getting shot down by other reconnaissance pilots firing hand guns or rifles from their cockpits. So now a new type of plane was needed to protect your own reconnaissance planes and shoot down the enemy’s. And so the fighter was born. The term ‘ace’ was first introduced in WWI, to qualify as an ace a pilot had to down 5 enemy aircraft. However this number varied during the war. The highest scoring ace of WWI was Manfred von Richthofen more popularly known as The Red Baron. During the war he shot down 80 allied planes. He is remembered has gone down in history as The Red Baron because of the bright red colour that he painted his plane. Richthofen was shot down on 21 April 1918, it is still disputed as to who actually shot him down, Captain Arthur Roy Brown was officially credited with the victory however it is more likely that he was shot down by Sergeant Cedric Popkin who was an anti-aircraft gunner in the 24 th Australian Machine Gun Company. This is thought because of the direction in which the bullet hit The Red Baron was most likely to have come from the ground, and Popkins is known to have fired at Richthofen twice as he flew low over the trenches. René Fonck was the second highest scoring ace of WWI with a tally of 75 kills. He flew in the French Air Service and unlike the Red Baron he survived the war. Aces Of WWI:-

When war broke out in 1914 neither side expected aircraft to play little if any part in the conflict. Aircraft were only used for observation and were not armed. There were no tactics in place on how air warfare should be fought. Because of this early pilots could not be trained in the art of air warfare and so they created their own tactics. At the start of the war the main use of aircraft was for reconnaissance. However the opposing side would want to stop this. So fighter planes were developed to shoot down these reconnaissance planes. When war broke out in 1914 the sole purpose of aircraft was to observe the enemy’s positions and movements. However these planes began getting shot down by other reconnaissance pilots firing hand guns or rifles from their cockpits. So now a new type of plane was needed to protect your own reconnaissance planes and shoot down the enemy’s. And so the fighter was born. René Fonck was the second highest scoring ace of WWI with a tally of 75 kills. He flew in the French Air Service and unlike the Red Baron he survived the war. Fonck never became a real hero in the eyes of the French public because he was shy and withdrawn, he very rarely socialised and had few friends. Even the friends that he did have considered him arrogant and self centered. Aces Of WWI:- Billy Bishop was the third highest scoring ace of the war and the highest scoring pilot in the British Empire. He amassed a total of 72 victories. He flew for the Canadian Royal Air Force. His most impressive record is that on the morning of 18 June he shot down 5 planes in 15 minutes. He survived the war and returned to Canada.