What was the increase of airplane use from World War 1 until Vietnam?

Answer 1

Discounting helicopters (Rotor-Wing Aircraft).

1. World War I aircraft were constructed of cloth and wood, and were originally intended for aerial reconnaissance and the spotting of artillery (adjusting artillery fire). During the war they progressed into fighting each other in aerial combat (called dog-fights) often armed with only machineguns. As well as progressing into aerial bombing of ground targets, with multi-engined aircraft.

2. World War II aircraft were by and large constructed of aluminum and other light weight metals. These aircraft had retractable wheels (landing gear) and machineguns embedded inside their bodies and wings (compared to WWI planes which had them mounted outside). WWII aircraft also had automatic cannons installed inside them, mostly 20mm caliber, normally these guns supplemented some machineguns whick were also emplaced inside the aircraft either in the wings or the fuselage or in both. Obviously, WWII planes were faster than WWI planes. WWII aircraft pilots were generally totally enclosed inside a cockpit with a canopy (glass protection); whereas WWI airmen were exposed to the wind, like on a motorcycle.

3. Korea was a repeat of WWII, but with jets added into the equation. The jets were as in WWII, armed with machineguns (.50 caliber) and cannons. Their speeds were but a bit higher than a fast WWII propeller driven airplane, but nothing reaching the speed of sound. Ejection, canopies, bombing, speed, nearly all were the same as in WWII.

4. Vietnam, jets were exceeding Mach 1 (speed of sound) on a routine basis. No machineguns were used, but only 20mm cannons and air to air missiles. But Vietnam came at a critical moment when some nations, including the US were building jet fighters WITHOUT GUNS, and changing to all missiles. In fact Americas latest and deadliest fighter, the F4 Phantom II entered the Vietnam War WITHOUT GUNS and paid dearly for it over the skies of North Vietnam. Later in the war, exterior (emergency) gun pods were attached to the Phantom's belly. The only true "gunfighters" in Vietnam were the US Navy's F8 Crusader and the US Air Forces F-100 Super Sabre, all could and did fire missiles of course, but the 20mm cannon was their primary killer. The North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) flew MiG17s, MiG19s, and MiG21s. All but the MiG 21s were armed primarily with cannons. All of the NVAF MiG19s were supplied by Communist China. The MiG17s, initially, and MiG21s were supplied by the USSR. Later the Soviets quit shipping MiG 17s and the Red Chinese picked up the slack and began supplying those to North Vietnam in addition to the 19s.