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The Wright
brothers are credited with making
the first sustained, controlled and
powered heavier-than-air flight at Kill
Devil Hills, North Carolina, on December
17, 1903. The outbreak of WWI in1914 saw
the development of aircraft improve
dramatically in the quest to build
fighters superior to that of the
enemies.
Designers tried a variety of designs
throughout the war including single wing
(Monoplane), double wing (Biplane) and
triple wing (Triplane) to try and achieve
faster straight line speed, climb, dive
and turn.
WWI pilots were instructed to attack
from the rear and hold fire until about
100 yards from the target.
World War One war was sparked off by
the assassination of the heir to the
Austro/Hungarian throne ‘Archduke
Franz Ferdinand’ in Sarajevo June
28th 1914. It was believed the Serbian
Nationalist Secret Society the
‘Black Hand’ had planned the
assassination. With Serbia refusing to
hand over the conspirators,
Austro/Hungary declared war on Serbia
July 28th 1914.
Austro/Hungary found backing from
Germany as the war escalated. Serbia in
turn received backing from Russia,
France, UK, Japan, Italy and from 1917,
the USA.
As the First World War came to end November 11th 1918,
over 9,000,000 people had lost their lives. The countries
to suffer the greatest losses were Germany and their
Allies over 3,500,000, Russia 1,700,000, France 1,300,000,
the British Empire 1,000,000 and the USA 116,000.
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Bristol Scout
1914, British, 94 mph, Biplane
The Bristol Scout was a simple, single
seat, rotary-engine biplane that
functioned as one of the very first
UK-built and designed fighter aircraft of
the First World War. This aircraft was
originally intended to be a sporting
aircraft for wealthy private
citizens.
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Fokker
Eindecker 1915, German, 87 mph,
Monoplane
Developed in April 1915, the Eindecker
was the first purpose-built German
fighter aircraft, also, the first
aircraft to be fitted with interrupter
gear, enabling the pilot to fire a
machine gun through the arc of the
propeller without striking the
blades.
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The Eindecker granted the German
air force almost complete supremacy
from July 1915 until early 1916; a
period known as the Fokker Scourge
during which Allied aviators
regarded themselves as "Fokker
Fodder". Baron Manfred von
Richthoven (Red Baron) first
fighter. Armed with 1 x Parabellum
MG14 machine gun.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_Eindecker
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Airco DH.2
early 1916, British, 93 mph, Biplane
The DH.2 was the first effectively armed
British single-seat fighter that enabled
the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilots to
counter the "Fokker Scourge" that had
given the Germans the advantage in the
air in late 1915.
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This little pusher quickly
proved itself more than a match for
the Fokker Eindecker, and was
heavily engaged during the Battle
of the Somme. Armed with 1 x .303
in (7.7 mm) Lewis machine gun using
47-round drum magazines.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airco_DH.2
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Halberstadt
D.II 1916, German, 90 mph,
Biplane
The Halberstadt D.II was a biplane
fighter aircraft of the Imperial German
Army Air Service that served through the
period of Allied air superiority in early
1916. This aircraft was succeeded by the
superior Albatros fighters by the autumn
of that year.
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While waiting on his Albatros
D.III being repaired, Manfred von
Richthofen flew a Halberstadt D.II,
between 11 March and 25 March 1917,
scoring six kills. Armed with 1 x
forward-firing Spandau LMG 08
machine gun.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halberstadt_D.II
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Albatros D.II
1916, German, 110 mph, Biplane
D.IIs formed part of the initial
equipment of Jagdstaffel 2 (Jasta 2), the
first specialized fighter squadron in the
German air service. Famous pilots
included Oswald Boelcke and Manfred von
Richthofen.
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With its high speed and heavy
armament, the D.II won back air
superiority for the German air
service. Manfred von Richthofen
shot down most of his confirmed
kills in an Albatros D.II. Armed
with 2 x forward-firing 7.92 mm LMG
08/15 machine guns.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.II
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Sopwith Pup
1916, British, 106 mph, Biplane
The first Pups reached the Western Front
in October 1916 with No. 8 Squadron, and
proved successful, with the squadron's
Pups claiming 20 enemy machines destroyed
in operations over the Somme battlefield
by the end of the year.
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The Pup had half the horsepower
and armament of the German Albatros
D.II, but was much more
maneuverable. By spring 1917, this
type had been outclassed by the
newest German fighters. Armed with
1 x .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers
machine gun.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Pup
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Albatros D.III
1917, German, 109 mph, Biplane
In April 1917, Germany regained the upper
hand in aerial warfare with the
introduction of the Albatros D III. Other
factors aided, especially the withdrawal
of Russian forces from the war freeing
many pilots for the Western Front.
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Sopwith
Triplane early 1917, British, 117
mph, Triplane
This triplane was flown exclusively by
the Royal Naval Air Service. The new
fighter's exceptional rate of climb and
high service ceiling gave it a marked
advantage over the Albatros D.III, though
it was slower in a dive.
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The Germans were so impressed,
German aircraft manufacturers built
no fewer than 34 different
prototype triplanes. The Canadian
pilot Raymond Collishaw scored 33
victories in this aircraft, making
him the top Triplane ace. Armed
with one synchronized Vickers
machine gun.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Triplane
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Albatros D.V
1917, German, 116 mph, Biplane
The D.V was the final development of the
Albatros D.I family, and the last
Albatros fighter to see operational
service. Manfred von Richthofen was
particularly critical of the new
aircraft.
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In a July 1917 letter, he
described the D.V as "so obsolete
and so ridiculously inferior to the
English that one can't do anything
with this aircraft." Armed with 2 x
forward-firing 7.92 mm LMG 08/15
machine guns.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.V
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Royal Aircraft
Factory S.E.5 1917, British, 138
mph, Biplane
Although the first examples reached the
Western Front before the Sopwith Camel,
and it had a much better overall
performance, problems with its
Hispano-Suiza engine meant that there was
a chronic shortage of S.E.5s until well
into 1918. Many of the top Allied aces
flew this fighter, including Billy
Bishop, Cecil Lewis, Edward Mannock and
James McCudden.
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Legendary British ace Albert
Ball was initially disparaging of
the S.E.5 but in the end claimed 17
of his 44 victories flying it.
Armed with 1 x 0.303 in (7.7 mm)
forward-firing Vickers machine gun
with Constantinesco interrupter
gear and 1 x .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis
gun on Foster mounting on upper
wing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.5
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Sopwith Camel
1917, British, 115 mph, Biplane
This aircraft entered service in June
1917. Major William Barker's Sopwith
Camel, the aircraft in which all his
victories were scored, became the most
successful fighter aircraft in the
history of the RAF,
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shooting down 46 aircraft and
balloons from September 1917 to
September 1918 in 404 operational
hours flying. Armed with 2×
0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine
guns.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Camel
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Fokker Dr.I,
late 1917, German, 115 mph, Triplane
The Dr.I saw widespread service in the
spring of 1918. It became renowned as the
aircraft in which Manfred von Richthofen
gained his last 20 victories, 80 in
total, and in which he was killed on 21
April 1918.
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The Dr.I was considerably slower
than contemporary Allied fighters
in level flight and in a dive but
remarkably maneuverable. Armed with
2 x 7.92 mm "Spandau" LMG 08/15
machine guns.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_Dr.I
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Fokker D.VII
1918, German, 116 mph, Biplane
The D.VII quickly proved itself superior
to existing Allied fighters, leading to a
second "Fokker Scourge." The Armistice
ending the war specifically required
Germany to surrender all D.VIIs to the
Allies.
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Manfred von Richthofen died only
days before theD.VII began to reach
the Jagdstaffeln so never flew it
in combat. Armed with 2 x 7.92 mm
LMG 08/15 "Spandau" machine
guns.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_D.VII
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