Combat Planes Modern combat planes have advanced a long way from the wood and canvas designs of World War I WWI Propeller-driven double-winged biplanes were replaced by jets towards the end of World War II WWII These were the first-generation jet fighters 4
The Chinese Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation fighter built in China for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force PLAAF is a single-seat twinjet that uses stealth technology The most advanced combat planes flying today are known as fifth-generation aircraft Fifth-generation fighters include the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II both built in the United States All fifth-generation fighters use stealth technology This means their design and the materials they are made of make them invisible to most radar They rely on computers both for combat and to help the pilot fly them 5
World War I 1914 1918 Western Front 4 1 Wood and Canvas At the beginning of WWI the military forces were just starting to use planes They were flimsy machines made from canvas stretched over a wooden frame Most aircraft were biplanes with two sets of wings held together with wooden struts and wires These early planes were used for observing troop movements and spotting enemy artillery on the ground At first enemy aircrews were friendly They even waved at each other in the air But this spirit of 6
3 2 Two German Fokker D VIIs 1 meet with S E 5s 2 and Sopwith Camels 3 and 4 of the British Royal Flying Corps The Corps was the early air force in Britain Aerial battles like this one over the Western Front were called dogfights goodwill did not last long By October 1914 machine guns were fixed to planes for shooting down enemies But firing through the propeller was dangerous so synchronization gear was invented to allow bullets to pass through the gaps between the propeller blades Planes like this Gotha G V German bomber were used mainly to strike at enemy supply lines These bombers were slow and easier to shoot down For protection they were equipped with guns in the front and back 7
