Meanwhile, the short-span D.IIc prototype had been improved upon, and its performance had increased substantially thanks to the use of narrower-chord upper and lower wings based on the Göttingen 180 airfoil, each measuring 1.00 meters from leading to trailing edge. In March of 1918, the D.IV was ordered for the first time. Demand increased quickly afterward as people saw the benefits of this new design. Aircraft began arriving at combat units in August, but only 123 of the 280 ordered were completed before war's conclusion, with only half of those making it to active duty. It was officially deemed superior to all other single-seaters in October 1918.

Although landing was difficult due to the plane's tiny landing gear and little prop clearance, flying the plane was a breeze. It was faster and more maneuverable than the Fokker D.VII at altitudes more than 4,000 meters (13,100 feet), and it had a relatively short take-off run. Most notably, it could ascend to an altitude of 6,000 meters (19,700 feet) in less than 14 minutes and had a very high service ceiling. It could climb to 26,600 feet (8,100 meters) in 36 minutes, 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) higher than the Fokker's ceiling. After the armistice, many D.IVs were sold to Switzerland, where they remained in service until the late 1920s. The aircraft division of SSW was disbanded after Germany's aircraft production was banned by the Treaty of Versailles. The Siemens-Halske division survived and eventually morphed into Bramo.

Leutnant Wintgens shot down a French Morane-Saulnier L two-seat "parasol" monoplane on July 1, 1915, while piloting one of the five M.5K/MG production prototypes, 'E.5/15'. E.Is were "assigned" to Feldflieger Abteilungs so that they could protect their fleet of six two-seat reconnaissance biplanes. Three days after his "unconfirmed" victory, Wintgens was the first Eindecker pilot to win an official match.

Timekeeping for Eindecker guns

Oswald Boelcke and Max Immelmann, both members of Feldflieger Abteilung 62, flew the most renowned Eindecker, aircraft E.3/15, an M.5K/MG. Once Fokker gave back his worn-out A.16/15, Leutnant Otto Parschau—the man responsible for introducing the Eindecker—took control of the M.5K/MG E.1/15. Following WWII, Immelmann purchased E.I. 13/15, which was serialized by IdFlieg. In total, Oswald Boelcke took home 19 of a possible 40 Eindecker trophies. As of June 27, 1916, he no longer had any winning Eindecker streaks to speak of. Max Immelmann, a second-place Einstein, came in second. He was responsible for all 15 victories in the E.III before his death in June 1916, when the synchronization device failed and seven rounds hit a single propeller blade, shattering it. The airliner was rocked by intense vibrations. There were 11 winning Eindecker pilots. As pilots of the Eindecker, Boelcke, Immelmann, and Wintgens were awarded the Pour le Mérite, also known as the "Blue Max," for their performance.

In early 1916, the Eindecker's dominance and "Fokker Scourge" were put to an end by pusher aircraft such as the British Airco DH.2, the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 and F.E.8, and the French Nieuport 11. On September 25, 1916, Heurteaux shot down Wintgens in a SPAD S.VII fighter, killing him.

G.Va

A compound tail unit consisting of biplane horizontal stabilizers and twin rudders was tested by Gotthaer in February of 1918. The aircraft's previously subpar directional control on a single engine was much enhanced by the installation of a new tail unit, or Kastensteuerung. This redesigned tail design was included into the G.Va variant, which also had a somewhat shorter nose fuselage and nose landing gear. Kagohl 3 is now known as Bogohl 3, and it received all 25 G.Va aircraft.

G.Vb

Carried more cargo than the G.Va it replaced and had a maximum takeoff weight of 4,550 kilograms (10,030 lb). Gothaer installed the Stossfahrgestell (German for "shock landing gear"), a tandem two-bogie main landing gear, to lessen the possibility of a nose-over while landing. After the success of the Stossfahrgestell, all G.Vs in Bogohl 3 were required to have one installed. Flettner servo tabs were installed on the ailerons of some G.Vb aircraft as another means of lightening the load required to fly the plane.

Idflieg placed an order for 80 G.Vb planes, the first of which arrived at Bogohl 3 in June of 1918. All eighty planes were completed before the time of the armistice, but the final batch was sent straight to the Allied special commission instead of the front lines.

Aircrews were directed to maintain formation and utilize the observers' weapons to engage enemy jets when deployed. The F.E.2b functioned nicely with this typical method. The Bristol's tactics failed at first contact. The British began the Battle of Arras in April 1917 with the F.2A. The first F.2A patrol of six aircraft from No. 48 Squadron RFC, led by Victoria Cross recipient William Leefe Robinson, encountered five Albatros D.IIIs from Jasta 11 under Manfred von Richthofen. Four F.2As were shot down, including Robinson, who was captured. 

The updated Bristol showed itself in air-to-air combat with more flexible, aggressive tactics. The type was quick and maneuverable enough to be flown in battle like a single-seat fighter, with the pilot's fixed forward-firing gun as the main weapon and the observer's flexible gun as a "sting in the tail". This way, the Bristol Fighter could defeat any German single-seater.

By the end of World War I, the Royal Air Force possessed 1,583 F.2Bs, ordered in September and October 1917. Bristol, Standard Motors, Armstrong Whitworth, and the Cunard Steamship Company manufactured 5,329 aircraft. After the war, F.2Bs were used in army cooperation and light bombing across the British Empire, especially in the Middle East, India, and China. The New Zealand Permanent Air Force, RAAF, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Greece, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Spain, and Sweden all used the F.2B. The last "Brisfit" unit, India-based No. 20 Squadron RAF, retired the F.2B in 1932. New Zealand used it for three more years.

Poland ordered 107 Bristol Fighters (105 with Hispano-Suiza 300 hp/220 kW engines, two with RR Falcon III) in 1920, becoming the second largest user. It was Poland's most common aircraft. From July 1920, 40 were deployed for reconnaissance and close air support in the Polish-Soviet war, including the Battle of Warsaw. Post-war, the rest worked. Two were downed by ground fire, one was captured by the Russians, and several crashed. Survivors trained and reconnoitered in Poland until 1932.

During World War I, the Royal Air Force (RAF) relied heavily on the Handley Page, a heavy bomber aircraft designed and built in Britain. Among the largest and most powerful aircraft of its day, it helped the Allies immensely by bombing German factories and military installations.

The Handley Page made its debut in 1916 and saw widespread service during the conflict. Its two Rolls-Royce engines propelled it to a top speed of about 97 miles per hour, and its wingspan was more than 100 feet. Each plane had a crew of four to six men, including the pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and gunners.

The Handley Page's primary purpose was bombing, and it could carry up to 2,000 pounds of explosives. It was deployed against a wide range of objectives, including enemy production facilities, storage facilities, and concentrations of troops. The plane was also fitted with cameras for spying on the enemy's whereabouts.

The Handley Page, for all its bulk and weight, was remarkably nimble and capable of extreme maneuvers such as steep dives and rapid spins. Several machine guns were installed all throughout the plane to ward off any aerial attacks.

In the end, the Handley Page proved to be a very useful plane that helped the Allies win World War I. Its reputation as one of the greatest bombers of all time endures because of its ability to strike deep within German territory, a key component in undermining the German war effort.

Accidents and incidents

In 1920, two of the six people on board a Handley Page Transport O/400 that was taking off from the company's airstrip in Cricklewood when it crashed and burned to death after hitting a tree during takeoff.