Here's a bit of history for you, check out the 'state of the art' airplanes these guys were flying:

Who Killed The Red Baron - YouTube

And if you are ever in the Tampa/Lakeland area, looking for something to do, check out Kermit Week's Fantasy of Flight museum. He's got the largest private collection of WWI and WWII aircraft, most of which are in flyable condition.

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/aircraft/aircraft.aspx