K-Test 5: United States Air Force Heritage (The Wright Brothers - An Emerging Tactical Support Mission)

Who developed the first successful heavier-than-air, powered aircraft?

Orville and Wilbur Wright

Which American glider pioneer assisted the Wright Brothers?

Octave Chanute

Where did the Wright Brothers make over 1000 glider flights?

Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Between what years did the Wright Brothers make glider flights at Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina?

1900-1902

When did the Wright Brothers attempt the first flight of powered aircraft?

December 14, 1903

How long did it take the Wright Brother's aircraft to crash on December 14, 1903?

3 seconds

At ___________ on __________________, _____________ Wright made the first flight of _________ feet in ________ seconds.

10:35; December 17, 1903; 120; 12

By 1905, which aircraft constituted the first practical airplane?

Wright Flyer No. 3

What was the longest flight that Wright Flyer No. 3 had accomplished by 1905? (__________ minutes, __________ miles)

39; 24

On December 17th, 1903, Wilbur made the ________ attempt and the longest flight of __________ feet and __________ seconds.

4th; 852; 59

When did the Signal Corps establish an Aeronautical Division?

Aug 1, 1907

What took "charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all kindred subjects?

3 person strong, Signal Corps Aeronautical Division

When had the Aeronautical Division established specs for bidding on an American military aircraft by?

Dec 1907

How many bids did the Aeronautical Division receive? Accept? Functional?

41; 3; 1

What was the only functional bid that the Aeronautical Division received?

Wright Type A Military Flyer

In September 1908, who was the first military observer that Wright Type A Military Flyer flew?

Lt Frank P Lahm

Who did the Wright Type A Military Flyer crash kill?

Lt Thomas E Selfridge

When was the Wright Type A Military Flyer crash?

September 17, 1908

What name did the Wright Type A Military Flyer adopt when the Army accepted it?

Signal Corps Aeroplane No. 1

When did the Army adopt the Signal Corps Aeroplane No. 1?

Aug 2, 1909

Who were the first people that Wilbur Wright trained to fly?

Lt Frank P Lahm and Lt Frederick E Humphreys

When did Wilbur Wright start teaching Lt Frank P Lahm and Lt Frederick E Humphreys to fly?

October 1909

When did Lt Frank P Lahm and Lt Frederick E Humphreys crash?

early November

When did Lt Benjamin D Foulois receive orders to become the Signal Corps' chief pilot?

March 1910

How many flights did Foulois fly between March and September?

61

Whose work led to technological innovations such as wheels instead of skids and the first aircraft seatbelt?

Maj Gen Benjamin D Foulois

By October 1912, the Aeronautical Division had _________ aircraft, _______ flying officers, and __________ enlisted mechanics, with __________________ holding US Army Military Aviator Certificate No. 2.

11; 14; 39; Lt Henry "Hap" Arnold

___________________ gave Army aviation official status with _______ officers and _____________ enlisted men and increased military rating of mechanic, offering a ______% pay increase for enlisted men while on flying status.

US House Resolution 5304; 60; 260; 50

When was US House Resolution 5304 passed?

July 18, 1914

What was Gen John J. Pershing's response to Mexican forces raiding Columbus, New Mexico called?

Punitive Expedition

Who raided Columbus, New Mexico in March, 1916?

Francisco "Pancho" Villa's Mexican forces

In the Punitive Expedition, Capt Benjamin Foulois's ___________ aircraft, __________ pilots, and ___________ enlisted men conducted aerial reconnaissance?

8; 10; 84

__________________, the aircraft that Capt Benjamin Foulois had during the Punishment Expedition, with __________ damaged and only _______ serviceable by the end.

Curtis JN-3 Jennies; 6; 2

By WWI, the Signal Corps Aviation Section had ________ officers, ____________ enlisted men, and approximately _______________ airplanes.

131; 1,087; 55

By what year did pursuit aircraft (better known today as fighters) seek to control the skies?

1915

Who attached steel plates to the propeller of his aircraft, enabling him to fire a machine gun?

French pilot Roland Garros

What plane did French pilot Roland Garros shoot a machine gun from?

Moraine Saulnier Type L monoplane

Created by the Germans, what was the first true fighter plane?

Fokker Eindecker

At first named the Escadrille Americaine, the French air service established this for American aerial heroes.

Lafayette Escadrille

When was the Escadrille Americaine created?

March 21, 1916

Who shoot down 17 German planes before transferring to the Air Service, American Expeditionary Forces?

Raoul Lufbery

Raoul Lufbery died on ____________________ while awaiting command of the ______________________.

May 19, 1918; 3rd Pursuit Group

The 1st official US aviation squadron to reach France was the _____________________, arriving in _______________________.

1st Aero Squadron; September 1917

_______________________________ achieved the 1st aerial victory by the US military while flying as a __________________________ with a French squadron on __________________________.

Lt Stephen W Thompson; gunner-observer; February 5, 1918

Who were the two most famous American pilots in action during 1918?

Captain Edward "Eddie" Rickenbacker and Lt Frank Luke, Jr.

What was Eddie Rickenbacker's profession before the war?

Race car driver

How many confirmed kills did Eddie Rickenbacker achieve? (______ confirmed, ____ aircraft and _____ balloons)

26; 22; 4

What nickname was given to Lt Frank Luke, Jr.?

"Arizona Balloon Buster"

How many German balloons and aircraft did Lt Frank Luke, Jr. down in 17 days?

14 balloons and 4 aircraft

When did Lt Frank Luke, Jr.'s career end?

September 29, 1918

What note did Lt Frank Luke, Jr. drop to a nearby American company before his final attack?

"Watch out for burning balloons."

What did Lt Frank Luke, Jr. accomplish in his final solo attack?

Shot down 3 enemy balloons and 2 aircraft

How did Lt Frank Luke, Jr. die?

Seriously wounded, he died with pistol in hand

Who was the outstanding American air combat commander of WWI?

Col William "Billy" Mitchell

What top combat position did Col William "Billy" Mitchell hold in WWI?

Chief of Air Service, First Army

In 1918, how many aircraft did Col William "Billy" Mitchell mass for the St. Mihiel offensive?

1,481

How many combat sorties did Allied airmen fly during the St. Mihiel offensive?

3,300

How many tons of explosives did Allied airmen drop during the St. Mihiel offensive?

75

When was the Allied victory by the Armistice?

November 11, 1918

How large was the Air Service at the end of WWI?

195,024 personnel (20,568 officers and 174,456 enlisted men) with 7,900 aircraft

What percentage of the United States Army did the Air Service constitute by the end of WWI?

5

What were the two related themes marked in American air power after WWI?

Billy Mitchell's drive for Air Force independence and aviation records

What was Billy Mitchell's vision for air forces?

Air forces operating over both land and sea as the nation's "first line of defense"

Which U.S. military branch did Billy Mitchell challenge regarding the effectiveness of bombers?

U.S. Navy

What was the name of the ex-German battleship that Billy Mitchell's bombers sank on July 21, 1921?

Ostfriesland

How much did the ex-German battleship Ostfriesland weigh?

27,000 tons

On September 3, 1923, which two WWI battleships were sunk by air power in a demonstration?

USS New Jersey and USS Virginia

How many aircraft participated in the bombing demonstration on September 3, 1923?

11

What did Mitchell charge the Navy and War Departments with after the Shenandoah airship crash?

"Incompetency, criminal negligence, and almost treasonable administration of our national defense"

When did the Navy airship Shenandoah crash?

September 1925

What was the outcome of Mitchell's court martial?

Found guilty and sentenced to a five-year suspension without pay

When did Billy Mitchell resign from the Air Service to continue his fight for an independent Air Force?

February 1, 1926

When did Billy Mitchell die?

1936

What Transformed the Air Service into the Air Corps and improved its status?

Air Corps Act of 1926

What new position was added to the General Staff as part of the Air Corps Act of 1926?

Assistant Secretary of War for Air

In 1935, what organization was formed to unite all air combat units in the U.S.?

General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force

What was a compromise between those who saw air power as subordinate to ground forces and those who saw greater potential for strategic airpower?

GHQ Air Force in 1935

Who led the GHQ Air Force's massive expansion program in the fall of 1939?

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

How much money did President Franklin Delano Roosevelt request for military aviation in 1939?

$300 million

How many operational combat-ready groups did the Air Corps plan for by 1941?

24

When did the U.S. Army Air Corps become the United States Army Air Forces?

June 1941

What historic event occurred on December 7, 1941?

Attack on Pearl Harbor

What was the surprise attack on December 7, 1941, primarily conducted by?

Carrier-based Japanese naval aircraft

How many U.S. battleships were sunk or heavily damaged in the Pearl Harbor attack?

All 8 U.S. battleships

Who conceived the idea of flying Army bombers off a Navy carrier to attack Japan in 1942?

Navy CAPT Francis S. Low

What type of bombers were selected for the Doolittle Raid?

B-25 Mitchell medium bombers

Why was the B-25 selected for the Doolittle Raid? (______, ____, _______)

Small; sufficient range to carry 2,000-pound bombs; good takeoff and handling

What was replaced on the B-25 bombers to extend their range for the Doolittle Raid?

Supplemental fuel bladders

What was the top-secret Norden bombsight replaced with on the Doolittle Raid bombers?

A homemade aluminum substitute

How much runway did the B-25 bombers need to lift off for the Doolittle Raid?

287

On what date did Lt Col James "Jimmy" Doolittle lead the Doolittle Raid?

April 18, 1942

How many B-25 Mitchell bombers participated in the Doolittle Raid?

16

Which cities in Japan were targeted during the Doolittle Raid?

Tokyo, Kobe, and Nagoya

Where did one of the aircraft from the Doolittle Raid land undamaged?

Near Vladivostok, where the Soviets interned the plane and crew

How many crew members returned to fight again after the Doolittle Raid?

64

What was Jimmy Doolittle awarded upon returning to the United States in May 1942?

Medal of Honor

What rank was Jimmy Doolittle promoted to after the Doolittle Raid?

Brigadier General

Who enlisted as a flying cadet in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1917?

George C. Kenney

What squadron did George C. Kenney fly in during World War I?

91st Aero Squadron

What was George C. Kenney known for in the Air Corps after World War I?

Innovator; first to mount machine guns on the wing of an airplane