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  • Brig. Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell

    William "Billy" Mitchell became an untiring advocate for air power between the two world wars. His name remains synonymous with military aviation during the 1920s.The son of a wealthy United States senator from Wisconsin, Mitchell was born in Nice, France, on Dec. 29, 1879, while his parents were on

  • Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker

    Capt. Edward Rickenbacker of Columbus, Ohio, was a famous race car driver before the United States' entry into World War I. As the United States prepared to send troops to Europe, Rickenbacker was offered a position as General Pershing's chauffeur. He accepted and enlisted in the U.S.

  • Air Service Enters Combat

    The first U.S. air unit sent to Europe was the 1st Aero Squadron, the same outfit that had served under Pershing on the Mexican border in 1916. Under command of Maj. Ralph Royce, it arrived in France on Sept. 3, 1917. Other squadrons gradually arrived, but all had to be equipped with airplanes and

  • Escadrille Lafayette

    In February 1918 the airplanes and equipment of the Escadrille Lafayette, together with most of its pilots, were taken over by the United States, while the French ground personnel of the unit were replaced by members of the 103rd Aero Squadron, Air Service, American Expeditionary Force. During its

  • Pancho Villa Attacks New Mexico

    On March 9, 1916, the Mexican revolutionary, Pancho Villa, crossed the international border with more than 500 men and raided Columbus, N.M., killing 17 Americans. The next day, Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing was directed to organize a force to protect the border and the 1st Aero Squadron, commanded by

  • Caproni Ca. 36

    During World War I, Italian aeronautical engineer Gianni Caproni developed a series of multi-engine heavy bombers that played a key role in the Allied strategic bombing campaign. His bombers were produced not only in Italy, but also in France and the United States.In late 1914 Caproni designed 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

  • 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

  • Mastering Flight at Huffman Prairie

    During 1904-1905, the Wrights continued researching the mysteries of flight at Huffman Prairie near the Simms Station trolley stop (now part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio). In September 1904 Wilbur Wright reached a significant milestone. After ascending over Huffman Prairie in the Flyer