Gabriel Voisin was of the most productive aircraft designers of the First World War. On 5th October, 1914 the Voisin III, became the first Allied plane to shoot down an enemy aircraft.

Voisin became the standard Allied bomber in the early years of the war. Successive models were more powerful and over 800 were purchased by the French Army Air Service. The Royal Flying Corps and the Russian and Belgian airforces also used them in the war. The Voisin V first appeared in 1915. It was the first bomber to be armed with a cannon instead of a machine-gun.

Performance Data of the Voisin V
Type bomber
Engine 120 hp Canton-Unne
Wing Span 48 ft 4 in (14.75 m)
Length 31 ft 2 in (9.5 m)
Height 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m)
Maximum Speed 74 mph (120 kph)
Maximum Height 11,485 ft (3,500 m)
Armament 37-mm cannon; 132 lbs (60 kg) of bombs