Season 2, Episode 1- The Fighter Plane

In the years before World War I, a flying machine known as the airplane thrilled the public, but it was regarded as a novelty with no practical use. But then, in 1914, the airplane, at the tender age of ten, went to war!

At first, aircraft was considered to have very little military value except for observational purposes. A spirit of sportsmanship existed between the rival pilots of France and Germany. As they would pass each other on their daily flights over the lines, they would wave a friendly greeting and sometimes take pictures of one another, which led to an unusual development.

While France was in his photographic bureau developing the photos he was taking with Germany, he saw that one of the photos showed Germany sticking his tongue out.

France was so irked he remarked, “Sacrebleu! This is outrage!”

And so, the next day, he passed by Germany again on his plane and thought, “Here I am, a pilot from France. Owing to ze fact that I have only one eye, I may lack depth perception, and yet, I have ze latest fighting equipment: a brick. Oui, a brick. All I need to do is throw it at ze maudit Boche!”

And throw it he did. The brick smacked Germany right in the head! It hurt Germany so badly, he thought of a plan for revenge. And so, the following day, being a hothead as well as a squarehead, Fritz took a potshot at Pierre. He whipped out a pistol and…he missed. However, Germany managed to enrage France into pulling out a shotgun! The German followed suit, and soon the two were shooting at each other.

Yes, duels with pistols, shotguns, and rifles led to the installation of the machine gun. That’s right, Germany mounted a machine gun onto his plane. “Let’s see vhat Franzmann sinks of zis,” he thought.

Well, his machine gun was successful save for one small detail…the propeller got in the way. And so, after Germany’s plane crashed, it was back to the drawing board for him.

Then science developed a synchronizing device to allow the bullets to pass between the rapidly revolving blades of the propeller. The airplane became a formidable weapon of war, and for the first time ever, not even British civilians were safe during a foreign war.

But on the subject for bricks dropping from planes, even Brits did this, but the German pilots were harsh! They dropped steel darts! If the darts hit a man, they could split him in half from head to toe! Gross!

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HH GAMES PRESENTS: FLYING ACES!

Your chance to be a British World War I Fighter Pilot!

Choose your pilot!

No, not a foot soldier. He’s far too common to be a British pilot.

An upper-class officer? That’s better. Only posh officers are allowed on airplanes in the Royal Flying Corps.

Begin training round!

Practice drill with a sword! Horse-riding! And then maybe some flight training!

Your plane flies at a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour, but go less than 35 miles per hour, and your plane will stall.

Congratulations! You have survived training!

Select opponent!

You have selected Manfred von Richthofen, aka the Red Baron, aka the most feared German pilot in the skies!

Begin dogfight! Even if you’ve had only two hours’ training and likely won’t last five minutes.

Select parachute? Parachute not available. British pilots are not allowed parachutes in case it made them too cowardly to fight.

Flying Aces! Be a British World War I fighter pilot, but not for so very long!

In the next episode, see the British Army cope with winter.