Most significant aircrafts of WWI?

I am doing a report on aircrafts in WWI and was wondering what the "experts" would consider to be the most influential ones. If anyone would be able to give me a few names i could narrow my search down and just concentrate on those. Anything would be a great deal of help, THANKS!
People have brought up the point that my post is vague, sorry about that! The class that i'm doing this for is called War and Conflict so i'm interested in the influence the plane had on the war. Everything has been extremely helpful and i truly appreciate everything that has been said so far. Thanks again!

Here goes:

1) Fokker Eindecker: with it, combat flying came of age;

2) Zeppelins: strategic bombing was born, as well as adding to the acceptance of "total war" (ie the civilian population was a legitimate military target);

3) The observation aircraft that were used by both sides, without any effective opposition, in 1914: they actually determined the novel character of the Great War, by giving rise to trench warfare;

4) The Vickers Vimy: a twin-engined bomber used by the British, it also crossed the Atlantic in 1919 (piloted by Alcock and Brown).

Hope this helps...

PS Expert, shmexpert (auf Deutsch: "schmexpert")-- last night, I just may have come across an example of an "expert" fudging the time(s) of a well-known pilot's demise; possibly to make the facts adhere to his pre-conceptions?

[Barrett]

The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets is widely overlooked: the first "strategic" bomber; Gothas, Capronis and Handley-Pages trailed in its slipstream.

Etrich/Rumpler Taube: provided critical intelligence leading to the massive German victory at Tannenburg. (Too many Allied types were involved around Mons to pick one.)

Albatros D series: regained German air superiority after decline of the Fokker Eindecker (which was a pretty ho-hum airplane without the Maxim.)

Junkers D/J series, the first all-metal combat aircraft.

Nieuports: used by every Allied power including Russia

Sopwith Triplane: directly influenced the Fokker Dr.I

[Russell Smith]

It wouldn't rank as one of the most influential of the war, but I think the Halberstadt D series (II, III, & V) is often overlooked. They bridged the gap between the Eindeckers and the Albatros D series. They were, perhaps, the first "modern" fighters.

Russ

[MilesC]

"Influential in what way", I ask? To the war, or to aviation?

To the war, the Eindekker, Nieuport series, Albatros series, the BE2 series (yes, the did danged fine work), Camel and SE5a.

To aviation, this is harder to determine. The Eindekker was important only because of it's interrupter gear, but it was not a leap forward in aircraft technology. The Albatros fighters were a strong development in monococque technology (a la the Deperdussin), the Sopwith Triplane made good strides in lift/strut technology, the twin engined bombers on both sides laid the foundations for further development of bombers. Zeppelins, they showed the way NOT to do strategic bombing, the Gothas did.

It all depends on what you intended with your question. I'm sure others have equally valid opinions. I find aviation development to be more interesting, as the first question has been analyzed to death.

[PeterL]

For me the question must be about the influence on the future of aviation. The Fokker DVII set a pattern for fighter aircraft which would endure to the mid-thirties. The all metal Junkers monoplanes showed the way in aircraft construction methods. The Vickers Vimy pioneered passenger airline routes around the globe and the Avro 504 was central to the developement of flying training methods still in use to-day. My sixpennyworth.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Gentlemen:
The Fokker D.VII. It was so good, it was specifically called out in the Articles of the Armistice. Further, the construction of the Fok.D.VII influenced aircraft design through the twenties and thirties.
Blue skies,
Dan-san

[wingstrutdotcom]

Originally posted by Barrett@Jan 16 2004, 05:35 PM
[b] The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets is widely overlooked: the first "strategic" bomber; Gothas, Capronis and Handley-Pages

I agree with these. They lead to the concept of Strategic bombing both day and night. In terms of judging by standard of overall history the impact of the concept on which these planes developed, fought and proved carried right into thought and planning of WWII bombing theories with some lessons learned, some forgotten, some proven even greater. The idea of striking out long distance and destroying by air prevades the entire last Century and will continue to do so in the future.

While it changed the way nations fight wars by instantly carrying the fight to the enemey's back yard there was one positive element. These large aircraft, more so of the HP, were developed for civilian use post war. They founded the development of reliable prop driven commercial aircraft. In that regard they brought the world together in a positive way.

Hate to be a contrarian here, guys, but the D.VII did not influence the design of any aircraft past the coming generation of Fokker transports, as regards the internally-braced wing, and that really goes back to at least the D.VI.

As regards the influence of the D.VII on fighter design following, until the advent of the monoplanes in the 1930s, please list for me all the fighter aircraft designed with internally-braced wings and lack of flying wires. Ooops!

Fokker's fuselage construction did finally - by around the mid-20s - have an effect on fighter design.

IMHO, the fighter airplane that influenced ALL

Hate to be a contrarian here, guys, but the D.VII did not influence the design of any aircraft past the coming generation of Fokker transports, as regards the internally-braced wing, and that really goes back to at least the D.VI.

As regards the influence of the D.VII on fighter design following, until the advent of the monoplanes in the 1930s, please list for me all the fighter aircraft designed with internally-braced wings and lack of flying wires. Ooops!

Fokker's fuselage construction did finally - by around the mid-20s - have an effect on fighter design.

IMHO, the fighter airplane that influenced ALL subsequent fighter designs until the advent of the metal monoplanes in the 1930s would be the Albatros D.I/D.II (with the D.III and D.V being dead-ends due to the adoption of the irrelevant sesquiplane design). Speedy, two machine guns, biplanes, externally-braced....

TC