In March of 1916, the U.S. Army owned only eight Curtiss “Jenny” airplanes.
The bright yellow biplanes had room for a pilot and a copilot. They were finicky and constantly breaking.
Despite purchasing the Wright Military Flyer in 1909, the U.S. had never used the airplanes in a combat mission - but that was about to change.
When World War I broke out, military officials in Washington immediately recognized the potential for using airplanes in combat. But the U.S. didn’t go to war in Europe immediately. So the First Aero Squadron and their eight airplanes were in the U.S. when the Army finally needed them.
