When was aeroplane first used in war

This summer, the world is marking the 40th anniversary of one of the greatest milestones in aerospace history, and one of the most remarkable of all human achievements—the first Moon landing by Apollo But the summer of also marks another meaningful event in aerospace history. It is the centennial of military aviation. Just as most recognized the airplane would change the world in general, many foresaw, with a fair degree of accuracy, that the airplane would have profound implications for warfare and military defense.

After bringing their design to a level of practicality in , the Wright brothers set about finding a customer for their invention. An obvious choice was the U. Army, who had already been developing an aeronautical program with lighter-than-air vehicles. In , the U. Thomas E. Both Wilbur and Orville returned to Fort Myer in with a new airplane and successfully completed the trials. On August 2, , the Signal Corps officially accepted the Wright airplane, the first purchased and put into service by any government.

The Wright Military Flyer served until , training Army pilots, and was then transferred to the Smithsonian Institution for public display. It is the seed that spawned the military aerospace industry, and a significant portion of aviation history. The flight trials were scheduled for late summer at Fort Myer, Virginia, a military post just outside Washington, D.

With the commitments in Europe, the brothers had to separate for the first time. With Wilbur off to France, Orville did the flying for the Army. On September 17, , with Army observer Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge on board, the airplane experienced a mechanical malfunction involving one of the propellers and crashed. Orville was severely injured and Selfridge died, the first fatality in a powered airplane. Orville would resume the flight trials after his recovery.

The Wrights returned to Fort Myer to complete the Army trials after the homecoming celebrations in June The final one was a cross-country flight of 10 miles with a passenger. This flight also served as the official speed trial. The contract stipulated that they would receive a 10 percent bonus for every full mile per hour above Their average speed was The Wrights returned to Fort Myer in with an entirely new airplane.

The Army purchased it that year, used it to train pilots in the fall of and in , then donated it to the Smithsonian Institution in after acquiring other aircraft. Designated Signal Corps No. Also interested in aviation, the U.