Manfred von Richthofen

Von Richthofen was the most famous, and most feared ace of WWI. From 1916-1918, he amassed the most victories of any pilot. In only 3 years, he shot down 80 planes, an unheard total that brought him nationwide acclaim in his home country of Germany.

Throughout much of the war, von Richthofen flew a Albatros D.III, which he painted red, earning him the nickname of the "Red Baron." The plane was the most agile and heavily-armed plane of its time, with a top speed of 109 mph and 2 mounted light machine guns. However, it had a fatal error: weak wing struts that caused the wings to crack during the first time Richthofen went up in the plane. Later, in 1917-1918, von Richthofen began flying a red Fokker DR.I, a triplane that, while slower than other planes (top speed: 103 mph), could climb faster than any other plane. However the plane later experienced wing failures that led to the deaths of several pilots.

Von Richthofen's demise as a pilot began on July 2, 1917 when he was shot in the head. Although the injury was not fatal, it severely affected his abilities. Before the injury, von Richthofen had been averaging 3-6 kills per month. In the 3 months after the injury, he only had 3 kills total. The German pilot's final kill came on April 20, 1918. Only a day later, the Red Baron was shot down and killed. He was buried with full military honors in France.

Manfred von Richthofen Red Air Fighter (1918)
"Those who hear nowadays of the colossal bags made by certain aviators must feel convinced that it has become easier to shoot down a machine. I can assure those who hold that opinion that the flying business is becoming more difficult from month to month and even from week to week."

René Fonck

The leading ace for the French, Fonck had 75 kills by the end of the war. This total was second only to von Richthofen as the top ace of the war. Fonck flew a Spad S. VII, a plane that the Allies credited with helping them control the skies. It had a top speed of 119 mph and was durable in combat. Using this plane, Fonck twice downed six planes in a day. Much of the success came from the fact that Fonck was a careful flier who didn't take risks. This allowed him to survive the war and die in 1954 as one of the top aces of WWI.

Edward Rickenbacker

Rickenbacker was the United States's best pilot during WWI. After the US entered the war in April, Rickenbacker shot down 26 planes and balloons in only seven months. All of these kills came with a Spad XIII, a favorite with many aces of the war. The plane was powerful and had a max. speed of 138 mph. However the plane was hard to fly and required a talented pilot to keep it in the air.

Rickenbacker was flying the Spad XIII when he received the Medal of Honor for his actions on September 25, 1918 when he successfully attacked seven German fighters. Later in WWI, Rickenbacker survived after twenty-four days afloat on a raft. In 1995, twenty-three years after Rickenbacker's death, the United States Postal Service issued a stamp honoring Rickenbacker.