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  • Fokker Dr. I

    Few aircraft have received the attention given the Fokker Dr. I triplane. Often linked with the career of World War I's highest scoring ace, Germany's Rittmeister Manfred von Richthofen (the "Red Baron"), the nimble Dr. I earned a reputation as one of the best dogfighters of the war.The German air

  • Nieuport 28

    The French-built Nieuport 28 became the first fighter airplane flown in combat by pilots of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in World War I. On April 14, 1918, resulted in two victories when Lts. Alan Winslow and Douglas Campbell of the 94th Aero Squadron each downed an enemy aircraft -- the

  • Thomas-Morse S4C Scout

    This aircraft is located in the Early Years GalleryThe Thomas-Morse Scout became the favorite single-seat training airplane for U.S. pilots during World War I. The Scout first appeared with an order for 100 S4Bs in the summer of 1917. The U.S. Army Air Service later purchased nearly 500 of a

  • Avro 504K

    In July 1913, the British A.V. Roe (Avro) Co. tested its first model 504 aircraft, and numerous variants followed—based upon the type of engine installed. The Avro 504 briefly saw combat in 1914-1915, but was quickly identified as obsolete and relegated to training duty. As a trainer, it gained fame

  • Curtiss JN-4D Jenny

    The Curtiss Jenny stands alone as the United States’ most iconic World War I (WWI) training aircraft. Primarily a flight trainer, some Jennies had machine guns and bomb racks mounted for advanced training. The JN series featured a combination of the best attributes of the Curtiss "J" and "N" models.

  • SPAD VII

    The famed American volunteers of the French Lafayette Escadrille were flying the SPAD VII in February 1918 at the time they transferred to the U.S. Army Air Service, becoming the 103rd Aero Squadron. Several other U.S. units also used the SPAD VII, although most American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

  • Meeting the Challenge: The Wright Brothers

    Although heavier-than-air powered flight posed more difficult problems than other methods of flight, it also held the greatest potential. To achieve heavier-than-air flight, the problems of control and aerodynamic lift had to be solved, along with the development of a lightweight engine for

  • Wright Brothers, 1909-1910

    On June 20, 1909, the Wrights returned to Washington with a new and somewhat improved airplane, the 1909 Flyer. Official trials began on July 27 when Orville Wright flew 1 hour, 12 minutes, 40 seconds with Lt. Lahm on board as observer. The final trial flight was made on July 30 when Orville flew

  • Tragedy Strikes

    Tragedy struck during a flight on Sept. 17, 1908, when the right propeller on the 1908 Flyer fouled a guy wire, causing the plane to crash to earth. Orville Wright was seriously injured, while Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge, along on the flight as a passenger, was fatally injured, thus becoming the first

  • Wright Brothers, 1908

    Orville Wright brought the 1908 Flyer to Fort Myer, Va., on Aug. 20, 1908. Beginning on Sept. 3, he made public flights almost daily, and as the word spread, people flocked to Fort Myer in droves. On Sept. 9, he stayed aloft more than an hour, establishing a record, and later the same day he took