Aeroplanes and Air Raids In todays lesson we will begin to understand the impact that planes had on WWI We will discuss the variations in aviation and take a detailed look at the life of the Ace’s.

Early Aircraft The Wright brothers were two brothers from Ohio, USA and are the first people credited with the creation of a successful airplane Their major breakthrough in technology was the 3-axis control – this allowed pilots to control the wings and maintain and equilibrium By 1905 they had produced a “practical flying machine” and by 1906 has something that pilots could use

1905 Flyer– How is this different/ similar to a plane today?

Before WW1 Before the war armies used observation balloons and the Germans used Zeppelins for reconnaissance in the North Sea and Baltic Allied balloonZeppelin

Early War Generals at first did not see the importance of planes Britain had roughly 30/ 184 machines working – the continued to increase this number throughout the war Pilots are exposed to the elements Rarely are pilots involved in combat- reconnaissance roles

What did early planes look like? -world-war-aircraft/7597.html -world-war-aircraft/7597.html In your own words explain what the plane looks like. What are the dangers? How could a pilot defend themself? Why would pilots spray enemy planes with fire power? How does this differ from planes today?

Limitations of early aircraft What are the limitations of the first aircraft? Engine Speed Height Instrument panel Sopwith Triplane How many sets of wings does it have? And what are the advantages? Speed? Height? How did innovation change how the war was fought? Royal Aircraft Factory What is the leap in technology with this aircraft?

Improvement in technology Planes are adapted for specific purposes – Fighter planes are fast, manoeuvrable and fitted with machine guns – Heavier planes are designed to carry bombs – Scouting planes are flown over enemy lines gathering information and taking photos/ videos By 1918 planes had been adapted to carry very heavy bombs to Berlin and drop them

Impact on the war Battle of the Marne a pilot spots a gap between the advancing German armies and the British and French quickly push into it forcing a retreat After the Somme- General Haig realises the importance of aircraft reconnaissance and working together Planes are adapted quickly to meet the needs of the army!

Dog fights Dog fights were aerial battles between fighter aircraft at close range. It occurs from WWI with the invention of aircraft and until at least 1992 is a major part of every war In the early part of the war pilots could only count on hours flying time before being killed

Dogfights MhQ MhQ – What are the rules of war (for aircraft)?

WW1 Aces To be considered a WWI “Ace” you had to have shot down 5 enemy aircraft The most famous aces from the war are: – Manfred von Richthofen “The Red Baron” 80 (GE) – Edward Mannock 61 (BR) – Billy Bishop 72 (CDN) – Rene Fonck 75 (FR)

Tasks Collect and complete the worksheet “Air Raids” – Answer Questions 1-7 in sentences