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17 December 1903

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World’s First Drone !!

Fort Myer, Virginia

First Home of Military Aviation

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Orville Wright demonstration and testing begins 1 September 1908

Lt. Frank Lahm1st Army Pilot

Ft. Myer, Virginia

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National Museum of the USAF - August 2017

First Military Aviation Fatality, Fort Myer, VA

17 September 1908Orville Wright Injured

1Lt Thomas Selfridge, US Army Signal Corps

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Military aviation will continue to develop under the Signal Corps

Reconnaissance Observation

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World War I in the Skies

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Military Applications in Aviation

Lighter than air –Zeppelins/Dirigibles/Balloons

Fighters / Scouts / Pursuit

Bombers

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Airplane technological development will advance at great speed due to the requirements of the war.

Observing troop movements

Spotting for artillery targets / hits

Bombing introduced

Fighters introduced to halt bombers /scouts

Aerial combat introduced (“Dog Fights”)

1913

1918

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Bombers attacking England

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British Air Defenses – Aircraft / Artillery

Results Inconclusive

Small bomb loads No real destruction Psychological value Tie down British fighters

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Bombers attacking Germany

Drop twice as much on Germany as on England

Massive British, French & American raids

Minimal damage Psychological effect Threaten German industry, but no

real impact

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Note Aircraft ”Ceilings” and Fuel Endurance

Note Aircraft Armament

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Notice Maximum Speed!

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Wooden Frame and fuselage Wire Struts Canvas Covering Highly flammable glue / paste

Nicknamed “The Flying Coffins”

Few pilots wore parachutes

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Captain Manfred von Richthofen was the greatest fighter “Ace” of World War I

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Commanded “Jasta 11”Richthofen' s “Flying Circus”

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Vaux - Sur – SommeDays short of his 26th birthday

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British & Australian Airfields

July 2009

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Bertangles in 1918

Bertangles in 2009

Grave moved in 1921 to German military cemetery at Fricourt, France

1925 exhumed - Berlin

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Reburial in Berlin

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Russian Occupation of East Berlin – 1945 Cemetery on border of Russian Zone In 1975 Relocated to the family plot at

Wiesbaden, West Germany

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Greatest American World War I “Ace” was Captain Eddie

Rickenbacker – 26 aircraft shot down - Medal of Honor

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July - 2017

Rickenbacker Automobile Co. President of Eastern Airlines World War II – Pacific October 1942, B-17 Crash –

24 days at sea

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Greater altitude of raidsLarger bomb capacity

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Zeppelin bombing damage more

psychological rather than actual

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The Curious Flight of the L - 59

Observation Balloons Different sizes and shapes Looking for enemy movement Spotting for artillery Observing enemy attacks

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Imagine that you are at 1,200’ above ground and someone is

shooting at you!

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The “Balloon Busters”1Lt. Frank Luke

2nd ranking Ace after Eddie Rickenbacker September 1918 Meuse – Argonne Offensive 12 – 29 September 1918 Destroyed 14 balloons and four aircraft in ten

sorties over eight day period Killed 29 September 1918 (21 years old!) Posthumous Medal of Honor Luke Air Force Base, Arizona

Dangers of Balloon Busting Heavily defended Flammable hydrogen gas Tethered with steel cables Enemy fighters nearby

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29 September 1918

Attacks – destroys three German observation balloons

Wounded in dogfight with German fighter plane

Chased by eight German fighter planes

Forced down at Murvaux, France

Gun battle with German infantry

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