What Were Some Technological Advances In Aviation That Impacted World War One?

Question

What Were Some Technological Advances In Aviation That Impacted World War One?

Answer 1

,interrupter gear.

allows the front mount machine guns to fire through the spinning propeller without hitting the prop.

very important because the pilot had to fly and shoot so the guns needed to be within reach and mounted or aimed already.

Answer 2

One technological advance was the Sopwith Camel. Planes had heavy engines to begin with. At that time aluminum was higher priced than gold. (That's why it caps the Washington Monument.) And adding to that weight was the radiator, water, and water pump. But the Camel had a radial engine. To keep this engine cool, it rotated along with the propeller. Weird huh? But it worked well. Since radial engines at that time could only run at full throttle, or not at all, it also had a selector switch which cut the spark to all but one cylinder, to reduce power for landing.

Answer 3

Well, I'm not sure that aviation "impacted" WW1, if you mean affected the outcome in any decisive way.

However, the biggest technological advance had little to do with aircraft (awaiting the enthusiasts to reply) but with cameras:

The improvement in aerial photography gave commanders unprecedented visibility of the current situation, and possible enemy intentions.

The pressing need for this information, and the desire to keep that information from getting to the enemy, led to fighter aviation (and eventually a job for yours truly).  

At the very end of the war, what we would now call close-air-support operations were very effective in keeping momentum going during Allied offensives.

Finally, at almost the last minute, the Germans developed the "J-1" which was a dedicated close-air-support aircraft.