WWI aerial TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

• WWI was the first time aircraft were used on a large scale
• Planes and balloons were initially used for reconnaissance
• Aerial technology was a fairly new concept and became a technology race
• The first recorded powered flight was in 1903

Development

• At first planes were thought to have little military use  
• “The airplane is useless for the purposes of war.”
• Planes were mainly used for surveillance 
• Zeppelins and balloons were more effective

In the autumn of 1914 a new recruit to the Royal Flying Corps had a greater chance of being killed during training than during combat.

Why They were important

• Planes and balloons provided valuable information
• Cavalry could no longer provide the information generals needed
• They could successfully bomb cities and targets 
• Used for "Artillery spotting" and fire control
• They were also used for bombing depots and lines of communication

Battles

• Aircraft were used in every battle from 1916 on
• The planes would wait until night and attack enemy airfields and railways
• They would take photographs of enemy trenches and rear traffic
• Countries would fight for air supremacy to have an advantage in battle

Technology and Aircraft

The Zeppelin

• The Germans main aerial attack came by use of the zeppelin raids
• The zeppelins caused more fear than actual military impact
• The bombs carried by the british weight approximately 20 pounds.
• The British attacked the known zeppelin bases in Cologne and Dusseldorf

The zeppelin raids were coined as being “Baby killers”

GERMAN
AEG C.IV fighter (1916)
-twin- seat biplane produced by the German firm of Allgemeine Elektrizitats- Gesellschaft (AEG)
- fielded for reconnaissance ( also used as a bomber escort)
- two bladed wooden propeller 160 horsepower Mercedes D.III water cooled engine
- seating for 2
- the pilot had access to a single Spandau machine gun offset to his right side
- the system was synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades without damaging them
- flew 98 mph at 16,000 ft

AMERICAN
Aeromarine 39
- two seated plane
- - land based or seaplane
- it was a standard biplane
- the aircraft was created so the pontoons could be hastily detached and replaced with the supplied wheeled undercarriage for land or carrier operations
- Hall- Scott A-7 engine (100 horsepower) many engines caught on fire

BRITISH
- Avro 504
- Used for reconnaissance
- Would become one of the most produced and influential biplane designs for the UK
- Used a flexible mounted Lewis Machine gun of 7.62 calliber
- Used a Gnome Rotary engine generating 60 hp in practice

Bibliography:
Allied and German Aeroplanes / Airplanes - World War I, WWI, or "TheGreat War" (1914- 1918). N.d. Allied and German Aeroplanes / Airplanes - World War I, WWI, or "TheGreat War" (1914- 1918). Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
First World War (WWI) Planes -- Great War Flying Museum. N.d. First World War (WWI) Planes -- Great War Flying Museum. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Military History Online. N.d. Military History Online. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
The Real Top Gun - Vol. 1. N.d. HistoricWingscom A Magazine for Aviators Pilots and Adventurers. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Spad's Literary Potpourri. N.d. Spads Literary Potpourri. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Wwi Dogfight - Google Search. N.d. Wwi Dogfight - Google Search. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.