This print is from a portfolio series commissioned by the Bureau of Information, called ‘The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals’. Twelve artists made prints relating to the ‘Ideals’ involved in going to war, and Nevinson was one of the nine artists commissioned to depict the ‘Efforts’ associated with war. This is the fourth of Nevinson’s six prints, which show the process of building an aeroplane, from making parts, to assembly, and finally to flight. Looking over a patchwork of fields, the image conveys a feeling of freedom, far removed from the horrors of the trenches. Aerial warfare played a new and important role during the First World War. Nevinson shows the view from a two-seater plane, in which the observer or gunner sits in front of the pilot.