Magnificent men in their flying machines has essentially no plot. Lots of sight gags, etc. Don't get technical with it, just laugh your *#$#& off.
Believe some posts confuse "Dawn Patrol" with "Wings" a Howard Hughes produced/directed spectacular that trashed a goodly number of WW1 or their abouts vintage A/C.
Best flying movie of all time is still BoB. See it on an IMAX screen from row 10 center, it's the next (well, next to next) best thing to aerobatics in a Stearman on a spring afternoon.