A Guide to Military Aviation Through the Years

The airplane has significantly shaped our world, especially the military. Gain insight into the beginnings of airplanes, including the origins of seaplanes and jets, and how they’ve evolved through history.
It wasn’t soon after the development of the first plane that they began to be used in scouting missions to take pictures of enemy territory. From there the military’s use of planes quickly evolved. Fighter planes and seaplanes were used heavily in WWII and continue to be used today. Military planes inspired further development of civilian planes, and vice versa.
Find out when and how airplanes were first used for military purposes, as well as the many types of military aircraft used, both past and present.

The Significance of Airplane Development:

The Wright Brothers First Flight

Perhaps the most significant development in the history of airplanes was the work of the Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville. Beginning with gliders, the duo slowly developed the concept of modern aeronautical engineering. By building a wind tunnel, the Wright Brothers were able to analyze the best options for addressing lift and drag in a series of 200 different wing designs. By 1902, they had figured out a system for building gliders that involved a design process, testing in a wind tunnel and eventually field tests.

Eventually, the Wright Brothers moved onto powered flight with the development of the first fully-functioning airplane. They solved the traditional problems of control by inventing wing warping, combined it with better options for yaw control and improved rear rudder technology by making it steerable. By adding an internal combustion engine to the plane, the Wright Brothers first flight would enter aviation history on December 17, 1903, four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. To this day, the first sustained flight is the most significant development in the history of aviation.

world war 1 airplanes:
 

The event that ultimately had one of the biggest impacts on the influence of the development of airplanes was World War I. Beginning in October 1911, Italy began using aircraft for military purposes, particularly reconnaissance, in the Italian-Turkish War. Within one month, Italy realized they could bomb enemy positions using airplanes, changing the direction of the industry forever. Military use continued through the Balkan Wars and eventually became a centerpiece in the combat of World War I, used by both the Allied and Central Powers.
Before the war broke out, light aircraft were primarily used to take photographs of enemy positions and occasionally drop bombs. However, as more and more planes took to the sky, pilots began to use side arms to shoot at each other. Within a short period of time, guns were mounted onto World War I airplanes and pilots found themselves engaged in full-fledged combat for control of the skies. Over the course of the war, major developments advanced the technology used in aircraft. Increased aerodynamics, more durable designs and the interrupting machine gun were all developed during this time. Additionally, the amount of people trained to fly planes during the war had a major shift in the influence of the development of airplanes. Following the war, many pilots returned home and found ways to make a living off the skill they developed in the skies over Europe.

Further Development of Airplanes:

During the period between both World Wars, aviation became a major attraction for the public. Famous pilots like Charles Lindberg and Amelia Earhart took the United States by storm, turning world records into media events. Likewise, many companies competed to make larger and more advanced planes. The development and advancement in airplane technology permeated the American and worldwide travel markets, creating the fledgling airline industry, flying passengers from place to place for a cost.

Perhaps the largest change of course for airplanes occurred due to World War II. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a major increase in the production of airplanes was undertaken by the United States. Over the course of the next three years during the war, more than 100,000 planes were constructed by the U.S. alone, more than all other nations combined. Many of these aircraft are still functioning today in air shows or stored in museums. Another important aspect of the war was the development of new technologies that added a new concept to the influence of the development of airplanes: the jet engine. Following the war, the jet would become the primary powerhouse for airplanes

Types of Military Airplanes:

There are many types of military aircraft, both combat and non-combat. These include fighters, bombers and military transport aircraft. Learn more about the diverse types of aircraft used in the military.

Military aircraft can be fixed wing (propeller and jet engine driven aircraft) or rotary wing (aircraft that uses rotor blades to lift off), and be classified into combat and non-combat. However, various types of military aircraft perform different functions. Categorizing them as simply combat or non-combat will not help further identification of military airplanes.

Military combat airplanes are equipped with weapons that can be used against enemy equipment. Non-combat airplanes are designed to transport arms and ammunition, payload, military personnel. These airplanes are also used for reconnaissance as well as search and rescue purposes. Some non-combat military airplanes are equipped with weapons and are used during dangerous missions that require flying into enemy territory. Combat and non-combat military aircraft are further divided into different types of airplanes used for different purposes:

Combat Aircraft

Bombers

Warplanes or combat airplanes are broadly categorized into bombers and fighters. Bombers are low maneuverable aircrafts designed to attack ground and sea targets. With a large weapon carrying capacity, bombers have a long range and can be refueled by a tanker aircraft. They can be further classified as strategic and tactical bombers. Strategic bombers are used to attack strategic targets such as bridges, factories, shipyards and supply facilities. Tactical ones are smaller aircrafts designed to attack targets such as armored vehicles and enemy troops. Examples of famous bombers include Avro Lancaster, B-24 Liberator, Gotha G, and Tupolev Tu-160.

Fighters

When compared with bombers, fighters are short-range but fast and high maneuverable aircraft. They are designed for air-to-ground and air-to-air combats. A fighter airplane can target both air and ground vehicles. It can carry an array of weapons, including cannons, machine guns, rockets and guided missiles. Some fighters are designed to provide support to friendly ground troops while others are designed to shoot enemy airplanes during the day or at night. Advanced fighter bombers are versatile aircrafts that have a capacity to carry nuclear weapons and strike ground targets. Modern fighter-bombers include F-16 Fighting Falcon, Chengdu J-10, Sukhoi Su-34, Mirage 2000 and Panavia Tornado.

Attack Helicopters

Attack helicopters are helicopters specifically designed to carry an array of weapons such as machine-guns, rockets, guided missiles and auto-cannons. Attack choppers not only provide air support to friendly ground troops, but are also used to destroy enemy armor concentrations. For the sole purpose of defense, some attack choppers have air-to-air combat abilities. The AH-64 Apache of the U.S. Army and the Tiger UHT of the German Army are good examples of attack helicopters.

Non-Combat Airplanes

The identification of military airplanes for non-combat purposes is not just limited to transport vehicles. There are a variety of aircraft, including support types and front-line aircraft. Military transport aircraft have the capacity to carry war supplies and troops as well as ground armored vehicles. These airplanes can either be fixed wing or rotary wing types. Well-known military transport fixed wing aircraft include the C-5 Galaxy, Embraer’s KC-390 (project underway) and the Kawasaki C-1. Famous transport helicopters include the Kazak Mi-17 and CH-53.

Another key type of military transport aircraft is the aerial tanker. It is used to refuel fighters and bombers during flight with the help of special drogue fittings. The KC-10 Extender is the best example of an air-to-air tanker.

Reconnaissance or surveillance aircrafts are aircrafts used to monitor enemy activity during wartime or peacetime. Generally, these aircrafts are not equipped with weapons as they are only used for surveillance purposes. Surveillance aircraft carry different types of sensors, including photographic and infrared sensors. Some carry electronic equipment to detect submarines while others are used to warn enemy approach. The Mirage III R and the Lockheed U-2 are some of the best examples of reconnaissance aircraft.

Some Excellent Resources to Identify Military Aircraft

Here are some very good resources that might help in the identification of military airplanes, both for combat or non-combat purposes.They provide excellent photographs of military airplanes from around the world as well as detailed line drawings that offer three views of the aircraft:

1. FAS.org (Federation of American Scientists): Provides in-depth information on various aircraft types, be it bomber, fighter, cargo or attack helicopter. Just click on any aircraft link and you will get in-depth stats and specifications on any type of aircraft. Different monochrome and colorful photographs as well as line drawings educate about any aircraft.