Just barely over a decade after the Wrights' first flight, war clouds gathering on the eve of World War I convinced many that innovation would be needed to improve the airplane's military effectiveness. These hopes were realized when Italian aviator Giulio Gavotti dropped bombs from an Etrich Taube monoplane on Turkish troops in Libya, becoming history’s first aerial bomber in 1911. Today, aircraft are an essential weapon of war along with new technologies that have been developed since.

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Exhibitions

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Arado Ar 234 B Blitz at the Udvar-Hazy Center Exhibition

World War II German Aviation

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
On View Exhibition
Inside a gallery, the photograph showcases four World War I era biplanes, one sitting on the ground and three hanging as though in flight. In the back corner is also a balloon basket. On the right wall are a variety of other artifacts. Exhibition

World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
On View Exhibition
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