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<b>Name:</b> Caproni Ca.5<br><b>Date Introduced to Military:</b> 1917<br><br><b>Key Tech Improvement:</b> The Italians were the first to use bombers in combat and built the Caproni Ca.5, an advanced bomber at the time, with two tractor engines and a 1190-pound payload. (Public domain/Wikimedia Commons)
<b>Name:</b> Zeppelin Staaken R.VI<br><b>Date Introduced to Military:</b> 1917<br><br><b>Key Tech Improvement:</b> At the time of World War I, German zeppelins were larger-than-life airships -- their wing span was a whopping 138 feet 5.5 inches -- that threatened Britain's primary defenses, the English Channel and the Royal Navy. The payload for the Zeppelin nearly tripled the Caproni's capacity. (Public domain/Wikimedia Commons)
<b>Name:</b> B-17 Flying Fortress<br><b>Date Introduced to Military:</b> 1941<br><br><b>Key Tech Improvement:</b> In comparison to the B-24, which was introduced around the same time as the B-17 and produced in roughly the same number, the Air Force favored the B-17 because of its heavyweight material and survivability. (U.S. Air Force)
<b>Name:</b> B-50A Lucky Lady II<br><b>Date Introduced to Military:</b> 1947<br><br><b>Key Tech Improvement:</b> In 1949, the Lucky Lady II was the first plane to circle the world nonstop -- made possible with a fuel-delivery plane that refueled the bomber four times in the globe-circling flight. (U.S. Air Force)
<b>Name:</b> B-52 Stratofortress<br><b>Date Introduced to Military:</b> 1951<br><br><b>Key Tech Improvement:</b> The B-52's eight jet engines, as opposed to the typical four propeller engines, set it apart from other heavy bombers. The difference in power gave the B-52 more speed, range, altitude and payload than the B-17. (AP)
<b>Name</b>: B-2 Spirit<br><b>Date Introduced to Military:</b> 1993<br><br><b>Key Tech Improvement:</b> In areas where targets are well-hidden and the mission requires heavy bombing, the stealth bomber provides a no-warning attack with detrimental consequences. (AP)
<b>Name:</b> 2018 Bomber<br><b>Date Introduced to Military:</b> TBD (2018, by current estimates)<br><br><b>Key Tech Improvement:</b> The main difference between the new bomber and the older fleet is its UAV characteristics, but the bomber will also be built with more advanced stealth materials. (Boeing)