The first airplane that the Wright brothers flew was called the Wright Model A. The Wright Model A used a small four cylinder water cooled engine. The Model A had two large chain-driven propellers. The brothers designed propellers to rotate in opposite directions of each other to provide balance. The Model A was designed to carry both the pilot and a passenger.
The Curtis Airplane Company produced several types of airplanes in the early 1900s. The Curtis JN-4D was called the "Jenny." This aircraft was used as a trainer for pilots in the U.S. and England during World War I. There were over 9,000 "Jennys" built during World War I. The "Jenny" flew the first air mail in the U.S. in 1918. Curtis Airplane Company also produced one of the earliest airplanes with an enclosed cabin. The Curtis "Robin" was introduced in 1929. The early Robins were propelled by an OX -5 engine. Later models used a six-cylinder engine called the Curtis Challenger.
The 1928 Boeing Model 40 C was the first commercial type aircraftdesigned to carry multiple passengers. The Boeing model C carried four passengers in an enclosed cabin. The pilot flew the Model C from an open cockpit. The Boeing Model C weighed 6,075 lbs. and was capable of cruising at the speed of 128 mph.
The Martin MB-1 was a heavy duty bomber produced in 1918 and used by the U.S. in World War I. The Martin MB-1 was powered by two Liberty 12- A engines and had a bi-wing design. The aircraft was capable of carrying up to four crewmembers and 2,000 lbs. of ordnance. The MB-1 was armed with 5 x 7.62 mm machine guns. The landing gear consisted of four fixed wheels.
The Fokker Dr.I was produced in 1917 and used by Germany in World War I. The Fokker Dr.I was a triplane design. This is the type of plane used by the "Red Baron," Manfred von Richthofen, to shoot down over 20 enemy aircraft. The three-wing design made this aircraft highly maneuverable. The Dr.I was armed with twin 7.92 mm machine guns. The airplane was powered by a nine-cylinder rotary piston engine.
