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What were the advantages and disadvantages of fighter planes in WWI?

Airplane technology was still in its infancy at the outset of WWI, but despite their lack of complexity they were still able to play a huge role in the war. Early on in the war, planes were used by both sides mainly for aerial surveillance. They could safely scout the enemy's movements from the sky, as well as spot targets for the artillery. Eventually aircraft would be used more and more effectively as they became more complex. Bombers were developed, and fighter planes were built to hunt them in the skies. 


Regardless of the tremendous combat advantages they offered, flying planes in WWI was still very dangerous. No one knew about the stresses and fatigue that can accompany flying, such as hypoxia. The planes were not able to carry much fuel, so they had very limited range, and they were slow and made easy targets if they got too close to the ground. The early planes were also open to the elements, and entire aircrews were lost when they were exposed to freezing temperatures up in the air. 

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