The fragile aircraft of 1914 bear little resemblance to the mature aviation systems visible by 1945-1950. Looking backward from the later machines can make the eventual military value of aviation appear far more obvious than it was to prewar observers. The First and Second World Wars bracket more than two decades of essential interwar development. The comparison extends to modern uncrewed systems, whose impressive early uses may still precede mature doctrine, organization, and capability. It provides a practical test for claims that a new military technology has already come of age.
Chapter · 0:54-3:27
When new military technology comes of age
The primitive aircraft of 1914 frame a warning against judging an emerging technology by the mature systems it may later become.