ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of military aviation

Okay kiddo, let me explain the timeline of military aviation to you.

A long time ago, people used to fly in hot air balloons to see what was happening on the ground. But it wasn't until the early 1900s that people started to figure out how to fly an airplane.

During World War I, airplanes were used to spy on the other side, deliver messages, and shoot at enemy planes. They were called biplanes because they had two wings on top of each other.

In the 1930s, airplanes started to get bigger and faster. They were used to drop bombs on enemy targets in World War II. These planes were called bombers.

Around the same time, airplanes also started to fight each other in what's called dogfights. This means they would chase each other around in the sky and try to shoot each other down. These planes were called fighters.

After World War II, airplanes got even faster and could fly higher. They were used for things like spying, carrying troops and supplies, and even dropping bombs in wars like Korea and Vietnam. These planes were called jets.

Now, airplanes have advanced even more and are used in all kinds of military operations. They can fly for a very long time without refueling, they can even launch missiles from the sky. They are controlled by pilots who sit in the cockpit and can fly them from anywhere in the world using special technology.

So you see, military airplanes have come a long way over time!