Early aircraft were designed for sports and military purposes. In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright created the first sustained, controlled flight with their Wright Flyer. During WWI, aircraft became a vital part of warfare strategy. The United States’ first military plane was built in 1909 by Glenn Curtiss and named the Pilot one.
It may seem hard to believe but, since their development by the Wright brothers in 1903, aircraft have grown in size, speed, and complexity. The first flight was short and slow. In fact, the plane was so unstable that it was more likely to crash than fly. Still, despite these difficulties, military pilots wanted to improve the performance of aircraft.
In 1909 U.S. Army Lt Thomas Selfridge flew a plane built by Wilbur and Orville Wright for the first time. And during World War I (1914-1918) fighter planes became a vital part of military operations around the world. After World War I, airplane designers began experimenting with different types of engines and materials such as aluminum alloys and stainless steel that would make airplanes lighter and faster than ever before. However, not much progress was made until after World War II (1939-1945).
The first military plane was used for training air cadets. During World War I, military planes were used to provide additional firepower to aid ground troops. The first military aircraft were used in reconnaissance missions and spotting artillery, but soon force was added to the arsenal. Bombs could be dropped on enemy positions, and machine guns could be mounted onto the top of airplanes. Many early fighter pilots shot using a pistol or rifle while flying; if they wanted to attack an enemy from below their plane, they held their gun outside of the cockpit and shot upwards at an angle. This tactic was refined further as designs allowed for the installation of a machine gun that fired downwards through the propeller arc. Pilots became more able to target enemies both above and below their aircraft.
In World War II, the emphasis shifted away from firepower and toward speed and maneuverability. The development of radar had made it possible to detect enemy aircraft before they could spot their targets, and the more nimble aircraft were better able to evade incoming fire. Fighting style tactics also changed during this time period; combat was no longer a line of fighters shooting at one another head-on. Instead, dogfights involved tight turns and tightly choreographed formations of fighter planes known as squadrons. It was crucial that airplanes be able to attain high altitudes in order to avoid ground fire (and even anti-aircraft missiles).
The Cold War led to the development of fast jets capable of supersonic speeds. The United States Air Force (USAF) wanted a jet fighter that could reliably outmaneuver its opponents. The requirement for such an aircraft was defined by the US Navy and USAF, who recognized that in air combat between two equally skilled pilots, the pilot with the faster and more maneuverable aircraft would win; this concept would later become known as the “Energy-Maneuverability Theory.” Seeking an edge, both militaries looked to design new fighters which would allow them to gain air superiority at all altitudes and in all conditions.
The first designs purporting to meet these requirements were produced by McDonnell Aircraft with the F2H Banshee becoming operational in 1949. It was a huge twin-engine jet-powered by Westinghouse 19XB turbojets which gave it a top speed of Mach .92 (1,200 km/h) at 30,000 ft (9,100 m). However, it proved to be a disappointment mainly because at lower speeds it was not very maneuverable. On top of this, there were teething problems with its engines which overheated frequently.
The X-15 was an experimental plane that reached 4,519 mph in 1967 and set a world record at the time. The X-15 was one of the first military aircraft to be designed with a focus on aerodynamics and speed. The plane is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.
The X-15 was the first plane to be designed with a focus on aerodynamics and speed. The X-15 set the standard for military aircraft design and paved the way for the development of the supersonic jet. The SR-71 Blackbird was designed for intelligence gathering purposes during the Cold War and reached speeds of Mach 3.2 at altitudes of 80,000 feet.
Today, aircraft are designed for many different purposes including aerial reconnaissance, combat, surveillance, search and rescue, and transport between cities, states, and countries. Most military aircraft are jets propelled by one or more engines. As the geopolitical situation changes, so do the demands placed on military aircraft design. For instance, if a country fears that it will be attacked by another country with superior air forces, the first country will want to develop new aircraft technology to defend itself from attack. Similarly, advances in propulsion technology may also lead to improvements in military aircraft design. While most modern-day combat fighters are supersonic (able to fly at faster than sound speed), future wars may involve hypersonic fighters that can fly at speeds of Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound).
Future developments in design and technology call for a new aircraft that can achieve better results than the F16. An aircraft with stealth capabilities is needed to avoid the advances in radar technology. The large swing-role fighter concept is one solution, but mainly with VTOL technology, it can be achieved. Stealth, extremely low RCS (Radar Cross Section), low IR signature, maneuverability around the battlefield including vertical flight, and superior avionics are required capabilities to make such an aircraft competitive against the current generation of fighter aircraft.