WW1 Technology: Aircraft
Remembering some ancient WW1 aircraft....
The technological artifacts of WW1 are laughable compared to today’s modern fighter jets and carrier ships. But dogfights were aplenty during the First World War, and we had yesterday’s technology to thank for that. Here are several examples of the memorable aircraft that flew in the skies in the years of 1914-1918, and the countries which supported them...
1) Austria-Hungary: One of the more noticeable amongst their aircraft was the Phonix D.I series, which were pretty small. When they were first produced, they had 2 faults, the first being that they ascended poorly, and the second being that they were rather slow. However, these problems were soon fixed, and these aircraft quickly became dependable, with great visibility and good armament.
2) Great Britain: The Sopowith Snipe was a great among their ranks. Its powerful engine, and good rate of climb made it an easy-to-fly aircraft. In fact, William Baker, a famous British soldier, used one of these to battle over 60 enemy fighters, an act which would later reward him with the Victoria Cross medallion.
3) Italy: A reconnaissance, or “spy plane”, the Pomilio PE was used for just that. Close to 1,600 of these were manufactured in theU.S. and Italy. It was very fast, extremely maneuverable, and ascended well, making it a favourite.
4) France: Mass production of the Breguet Br. 14, including a seaplane model, was an inevitable result of its popularity throughout the war. It was an aircraft of many functions, including reconnaissance, bombing, and even an air ambulance. No surprse about 5,000 were made during WW1.
5) Germany: The Fokker D.VII is seen as the best German aircraft of the war, although it had its fair share of problems. The gas tank could blow up, or its wing ribs could fracture during a quick dive. However, as with the Phonix D.I, its problems were quickly located, and fixed. It became a durable, highly maneuverable, easy-flying fighter, and a favourite of German pilots. It was also pretty fast, its max speed being somewhere between 118-124 mph (at the time, this was considered fast for an aircraft), thus making it a challenge for any allied fighter to take down.
Not all aircraft were magnificent, though. Britain’s Kennedy Giant, although having 4 engines, was 80 feet long, and did not have the required power to support an aircraft of this size. Once airborne, it couldn’t do much, save for flying in a straight line. It was too huge to be of much use in any fight. Only 1 of these were built, thankfully.
Austria-Hungary’s Aviatik D.I, despite being lightweight, had an engine which had a tendency to overheat, and its poor construction resulted in losing wing and tail parts. As well, France’s Nieuport II model was fast, but if pushed too far, the wings twisted, and the lack of a synchronized machine gun proved to be a weakness as well.
So there you are. Some quick stats on some of the First World War’s aircraft. Whether good or bad models for their time, absolutely nothing, if you compare them to today’s jet bombers and fighters, but these ancient air-raiders are the roots of what have become today’s magnificent sky warriors.
A School Link Article. Courtesy of David Shaw, LCCHS, March 11, 1999 .
