World War I: Bombers
IN the early days of the war, there were no specialized bombers. Pilots simply dropped small bombs and grenades from their cockpits. But by 1915, Germany was sending a new fleet of 30 giant airships, called Zeppelins, to bomb England. Named for their designer, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, these enormous airships filled with hydrogen stretched over 640 feet long. They could stay up several days and carry many tons of bombs.
Looming over the English landscape, the Zeppelins terrorized the people. They destroyed homes and killed hundreds of civilians. Yet they were vulnerable to British lighter planes, which shot them down wi th incendiary, or explosive, bullets.
By 1917, both sides were building fast, powerful bomber airplanes. The Germans built Gotha bombers, which bombed London day and night, and the gigantic Zeppelin Staaken R. IV.
It could carry bombs as big as 2,200 pounds. German planes dropped 280 tons of bombs over England. The bomber had become one of the most destructive of all instruments of war.
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ЛЬТ ER the war ended in 1918, thousands of military planes were available at cheap prices. The most common plane, the Curtiss JN-4, was called the "Jenny.” It had been used as a pilot trainer. Many L war pilots, now out of work, wanted to keep Щ flying. They bought surplus planes and traveled the countryside as entertainers. Alone or in troupes, they gave shows in farm fields, sleeping in barns or by their planes.
Called barnstormers, these fliers thrilled audiences with daring displays. hey performed flying acrobatics with loops, spins, rolls, and dizzying dives. Some did stunt flying. They performed tricks on the wings of a living plane or hung upside-down Irom the plane wheels. Some even hung by their teeth. In one stunt, two pilots flew their planes side by side, locked controls, and scrambled over the wings to change places! Pilots olten gave rides to people lor money or a meal. Many women, as well as men, became lamous barnstormers.
Bessie Coleman (1692-1926)
Bessie Coleman was the first African – American woman pilot. She got her pilot’s license in France in 1921, and worked as a barnstormer in the United States. She became famous as"Queen Bess, Daredevil Aviatrix." Bessie dreamed of starting her own flying school and once said,"You have never lived until you have flown." She was killed in an accident during a practice parachute jump.
► Flying Circus
A poster for Гreddie Lurid’s Air Circus announces an upcoming show at a local airport. This traveling troupe featured stunts in a 1910 biplane and parachute jumps from a "looping glider." 4 Winging It
A young wingwalker braces to leap from one plane to another during a 1926 barnstorming show. Above, one daredevil hangs from the plane’s axle while another stands over the plane’s tail. Below left, stunt flier Jersey Ringel performs gymnastics under the wing.
f Travel Fun
In the 1920s, some airplanes were promoted as fast, fun ways to travel. Here, swimsuited bathing beauties pose with the crew of the "Buckeye," a converted World War I Navy flying boat. It ferried summer vacationers across Lake Erie in 1922 and 1923.
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► Pilot Pal
Pilot Edmund Poillot and a canine companion get ready for takeoff in a Voisin biplane. Many early fliers took along pet mascots. In the cold air aloft, a warm, furry friend was doggone comforting.
Fun Fact: Ride Request