When World War I began in 1914, the main objective of military aircraft was the reconnaissance. The British BE 2, of which BE 2B was a variant, it was appropriate for this task was very stable in flight, allowing the occupants to the study of the ground, take pictures and make notes. The BE 2 was also one of the first aircraft to drop bombs. One of the biggest problems for designers of aircraft during the war was the mounting of machine guns. In aircraft propeller assembly having fontal, the trigger field was restricted by the impeller and other parts of the aircraft.
The problem was solved in 1915 by German Anthony Fokker, who designed a switch mechanism that prevented the machine gun fire when the propeller blade passing in front of the barrel. The German LVG CVI had a machine gun on the right front of the engine, also a machine gun in rear cockpit and the ability to bomb. He was one of the most versatile aircraft of the war.