Interesting , Alien , Tecnology - War Planes That Will Make your Mind Blowing ! Lighter-than-air [ edit ] Main articles: Observation balloon and Airship A replica of a German Messerschmitt Me 262 , one of the first combat aircraft to fly under turbojet power. In 1783, when the first practical aircraft (hot-air and hydrogen balloons) were established, they were quickly adopted for military duties. [2] The first military balloon unit was the French Aerostatic Corps , who in 1794 flew an observation balloon during the Battle of Fleurus , the first major battle to feature aerial observation. [3] Balloons continued to be used throughout the 19th Century, including in the Napoleonic Wars and the Franco-Prussian war , for observation and propaganda distribution. [4] During the First World War , German Zeppelin airships carried out multiple ai...