54001 AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN FIGHTER ACE WWI

Imperial and royal aviation (Ger. Kaiserliche und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen, abbreviated as KuK Luftfahrtruppen) is the air force of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, formally formed in 1893 and initially used only for reconnaissance tasks. Their only airships at the time were balloons. From around 1909, airships entered service with the KuK Luftfahrtruppen, and shortly thereafter - the first planes. In August-September 1914, however, the Austro-Hungarian Air Force consisted of only 35 aircraft. It is assumed that among the European powers, the KuK Luftfahrtruppen was the worst in 1914 - both in terms of the number of planes and the training of pilots. In the course of World War I, however, these forces were significantly expanded. It is estimated that in the years 1914-1918 around 5,400 aircraft were built in Austria-Hungary, most of which were machines produced under the German license, although they were often modified. Examples include: Hansa-Brandenburg BI and DI or Albatros D.III. However, domestic constructions were also created, such as Aviatik DI. It is worth adding that the KuK Luftfahrtruppen operated both on the Eastern and Italian fronts.