Aerial ramming, the act of destroying an opponent's aircraft with one's own while aiming to survive the action, is completely separate to the concept of suicide attacks. It involved improvised use of conventional combat aircraft, although a number of attempts were made by manufacturers to create a purpose-designed ramming aircraft, none of which actually saw frontline service. The tactics were first used in action during World War One. On September 8,1914, Imperial Russian Air Service pilot Pyotr Nesterov rammed an Austro-Hungarian (KuK Luftfahrtruppen) Albatros, bringing it down. However, Nesterov was killed in the action. It was followed by other incidents, especially in the air war between Russian and Austro-Hungarian aircraft. During those early days of World War One there were no 'fighter' aircraft as such, and therefore improvisation was needed in order to take down an enemy. Some airmen resorted to makeshift weaponry for this, while others attempted to ram the opposition out of the sky.
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