Air Warfare in World War I

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the development of the air conflict in the First World War, claiming that it was closely linked to technical developments in aircraft design. The paper explains that the necessities and the competition engendered by the conflict also motivated technological developments. The First World War was neither won nor lost by the air warfare. The paper discusses what the war did for military aircraft design and development by opening up new possibilities of warfare.

From the Paper:

"The development and direction of aircraft design was largely determined by the necessities and requirements of the war. Firstly, the war necessitated that the aircraft be designed to be as easy to fly as possible as there was only a limited amount of time for training of the pilots. Some pilots began flying after with as little as 4 hour's actual flying time. (ibid) This also necessitated that the planes be designed to be as stable as possible. This requirement was to change as the momentum of the air warfare accelerated and maneuverability became a more dominant requirement."

More papers on Air Warfare in World War I:

• Essay # 50102 : "Aircraft in World War I"
• Research Paper # 30107 : "Tank Warfare in World War II"
• Essay # 62833 : "WWI Battle Tactics"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: