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Royal Engineers Balloon Unit
The military begins using aviation in 1878 with the Royal Engineers Balloon Unit. These troops used hot air balloons to get into previously unreachable places. -
First British Army Airship
The first British Army airship became operational in 1907. This meant that many bombs could be transported in just one of these airships, demonstrated in the Zeppelin raids. -
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps were founded in 1912. They were the first version of Britain's air force. They experimented with arming their aircraft as well. -
First Zeppelin Raids
World War I starts with the first Zeppelin raids. With Zeppelins filled with hydrogen and bombs, these airships wreaked havoc on their enemies. -
Gotha Heavy Bombers
First Gotha heavy Bombers deployed. These were long-range heavy bombers that were used by the Imperial German Air Service at night. -
Fokker Synchronized Machine Gun System
Fokker's first synchronized machine gun systems put into service. This was a very important innovation because pilots could now attack without having to worry about shattering their propeller. This invention prevented many injuries that could have been caused by damaged propellers. -
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force, or RAF, was formed. This was a combining of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. -
Radar
Radar was invented by Sir Robert Watson-Watt in 1935. Radar allowed pilots to see where other planes were, and also if they were friendly or not. Pilots could attack knowing that they are going to the right position. Before radar, you could not locate other planes unless they were close and you could hear or see them. -
ASV-3 Radar
The Royal Navy begins using ASV-3 radar systems to detect Germany's U-boats. U-boats were one of Germany's greatest advantages over the Allies, so being able to detect them was a turning point. -
B-29 Superfortess
B-29 Superfortress has maiden flight. These planes were designed for long range and high altitude. They were also used to drop the atomic bombs on Japan. -
V-1 Rockets
Germany begins use of V-1 rockets. These were short-ranged missiles and were designed to strike fear into England. -
Atomic Bombs
The United States Air Force drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki with a B-29 Superfortress. This is a significant part of the war, as it is predicted to have caused anywhere from 129,000 to 226,000 casualties within the first two to four months. -
Jet Fighter Age
The jet fighter age begins, transitioning planes from propellers to turbines.These engines were important, because aircraft could go much faster and get away safer. -
U-2 Spy Plane Shot Down
A United States U-2 spy plane was shot down over Moscow while taking aerial photos for reconnaissance. The pilot was captured after parachuting and was imprisoned for espionage. The United States was ashamed of this, but released the pilot, Powers, through a prisoner exchange. -
Agent Orange
The United States starts dropping defoliants such as Agent Orange on the Vietnamese jungle. This strategy killed the Vietnamese jungle, and the enemy were not able to conceal themselves in it quite as well. -
World Speed Record
The Lockheed SR-71 sets a new world speed record at 2,193 mph, close to three times the speed of sound. This just shows how fast our aircraft can go.