Yokel
LE
I thought that it might be worth having a thread about the way the aircraft carrier evolved into a recognisable form - with a flush deck, a hangar underneath, and flight deck lifts. I think this relates to the thread about the the RN Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War, and even current ones.
The first attempts to operate aircraft at sea naturally used seaplanes. The first ship to be converted to carry them was the cruiser HMS Hermes - other conversation followed.
Whilst the American stunt flyer Eugene Ely demonstrated landing on and taking off from a US battleship at anchor, British efforts concentrated on seaplanes and operating at sea. In addition to the seaplane carriers, smaller warships towed lighters from which seaplanes were launched.
The first raid was at Cuxhaven in December 1914. Other seaplanes provided reconnaissance for the fleet. However the Navy was looking for ways of launching aircraft more rapidly. At the time of the Battle of Jutland in 1916, three seaplane carriers were attached to the Grand Fleet. However for various reasons only one was able to put to sea, and only one aircraft was present at the clash of the fleets. The day after the battle a German Zeppelin overflow the fleet.
The Zeppelin was too high for the fleet's guns, so they tried to launch a seaplane. However, in those days it took thirty to forty minutes to stop the ship, lower the aircraft into the water, get the engine started, and take off. The Zeppelin had departed the scene before the aircraft could intercept it.
The Admiralty took note. What if there had been an enemy fleet being directed by the Zeppelin? What if the Zeppelin dropped bombs? A solution was sought to the problem of getting aircraft into the air rapidly. The solution was to put a platform over the forward guns on cruisers, and launch when a Zeppelin was sighted. The first success against a Zeppelin was later in 1916, by an aircraft launched from HMS Yarmouth.
Other successes followed but it was only possible to launch one aircraft at a time. The next step was to convert HMS Furious to remove her forward armament, with a hangar to carry multiple aircraft. Aircraft were launched when she steamed into the wind.
It was considered desirable to land aircraft on deck, and experiments started in 1917. Squadron Commander Edwin Dunning did the first landing aboard a moving ship. The following day he was killed trying to repeat it - flying around the superstructure caused air turbulence and he was lost overboard with his aircraft.
Furious was refitted to remove her after armament. Separating launch and recovery areas improved safety, and the first carrier operations took place during the war.
Experiments at the National Physical Laboratory showed that a flush deck was needed. Whilst plans were made to refit Furious after the war, the next carrier was being constructed with a flush deck. HMS Argus was commissioned at the end of 1918. She was too late to see service during the war, but she was used for many experiments and later gave sterling service during the Second World War.
The first attempts to operate aircraft at sea naturally used seaplanes. The first ship to be converted to carry them was the cruiser HMS Hermes - other conversation followed.
Whilst the American stunt flyer Eugene Ely demonstrated landing on and taking off from a US battleship at anchor, British efforts concentrated on seaplanes and operating at sea. In addition to the seaplane carriers, smaller warships towed lighters from which seaplanes were launched.
The first raid was at Cuxhaven in December 1914. Other seaplanes provided reconnaissance for the fleet. However the Navy was looking for ways of launching aircraft more rapidly. At the time of the Battle of Jutland in 1916, three seaplane carriers were attached to the Grand Fleet. However for various reasons only one was able to put to sea, and only one aircraft was present at the clash of the fleets. The day after the battle a German Zeppelin overflow the fleet.
The Zeppelin was too high for the fleet's guns, so they tried to launch a seaplane. However, in those days it took thirty to forty minutes to stop the ship, lower the aircraft into the water, get the engine started, and take off. The Zeppelin had departed the scene before the aircraft could intercept it.
The Admiralty took note. What if there had been an enemy fleet being directed by the Zeppelin? What if the Zeppelin dropped bombs? A solution was sought to the problem of getting aircraft into the air rapidly. The solution was to put a platform over the forward guns on cruisers, and launch when a Zeppelin was sighted. The first success against a Zeppelin was later in 1916, by an aircraft launched from HMS Yarmouth.
Other successes followed but it was only possible to launch one aircraft at a time. The next step was to convert HMS Furious to remove her forward armament, with a hangar to carry multiple aircraft. Aircraft were launched when she steamed into the wind.
It was considered desirable to land aircraft on deck, and experiments started in 1917. Squadron Commander Edwin Dunning did the first landing aboard a moving ship. The following day he was killed trying to repeat it - flying around the superstructure caused air turbulence and he was lost overboard with his aircraft.
Furious was refitted to remove her after armament. Separating launch and recovery areas improved safety, and the first carrier operations took place during the war.
Experiments at the National Physical Laboratory showed that a flush deck was needed. Whilst plans were made to refit Furious after the war, the next carrier was being constructed with a flush deck. HMS Argus was commissioned at the end of 1918. She was too late to see service during the war, but she was used for many experiments and later gave sterling service during the Second World War.
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