Aviation in Peace and War

This work surveys the rise of aviation from early experiments to its wartime maturity and envisaged peacetime roles. It reviews pre-war technical and organizational developments, examines aerial tasks during conflict—reconnaissance, photography, wireless, bombing, patrol, and cooperation with army and navy—as well as tactics, engines, and night operations. Drawing on illustrative historical campaigns, it assesses how aircraft altered reconnaissance and cavalry roles and outlines organizational lessons from military experience. The concluding section considers civil aviation, national and imperial air services, economic and weather constraints, night flying, and prospects for aerial defence and commercial development.