During the early part of the First World War, the Corpo Aeronautico Militare mainly used French aircraft such as the Farman MF-II, Morane-Saulnier and Nieuport II.

In 1918 Corpo Aeronautico Militare began using the Italian built Pomilio PE. Over 1,616 of these aircraft were produced and over 100 of these took part in the battle of Vittorio Veneto.

Performance Data of the Pomilio PE
Type fighter
Engine 260 hp Fiat
Wing Span 38 ft 8 in (11.78 m)
Length 29 ft 4 in (8.54 m)
Height 11 ft (3.35 m)
Maximum Speed 120 mph (194 kph)
Maximum Height 16,450 ft (5,000 m)
Endurance 3 hours 30 minutes
Armament 2 machine-guns