The importance of aerial reconnaissance and artillery spotting (particularly the latter) made it clear that the belligerent able to deny the enemy use of airspaces above the battlefield would enjoy enormous advantages. This realization led to the emergence of fighters as a distinct category of aircraft. In the early days of the war, pilots and observers blazed away at enemy aircraft with pistols, rifles, and even shotguns, but to little effect. Machine guns were the obvious solution. In 1913 the Vickers company in Britain had exhibited a two-seat biplane of pusher configuration (i.e., with the propeller behind the engine) that ...(100 of 13955 words)