Synopsis

At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, aerial combat was a rudimentary affair; opposing nations’ air forces comprised mere handfuls of fragile biplanes, from which pilots sporadically exchanged rifle fire. By 1918, however, the fighter plane had evolved into a potent killing machine, wielding increasing strategic influence over the war's trajectory. Using a remarkable array of meticulously reconstructed flying replicas, NOVA recounts the story of the designers, engineers, and courageous pilots