Little could the Wright Brothers have realized that their creation (heavier-than-air powered flight) would have such an impact on the 20th Century and beyond. The simple idea of a flying man became a reality and evolved on a considerable scale during the fighting of The Great War. The beginning of the conflict saw airmen take to the skies with little more than pistols and rifles while grenades were dropped on terrorized infantry below. Before the end of the war, there would be dedicated night-hunters, 'balloon busters', ground-attack platforms, and aces from every major nation. Evolved once more in the fighting of World War 2 (1939-1945), the jet age was introduced and paved the way for the air battles that concluded the first Century of Flight. Today, advanced platforms take to the skies on a regular basis, some manned and others operating completely autonomously - hinting at the new face of future wars.
Modern Entries
Enduring Freedom | Iraqi Freedom
