Photos Aircraft Carriers

[BravoZulu]

McDonnell F2H Banshee operating from the HMCS Bonaventure, 1957. Although liked by its crews the type suffered serious issues in Canadian service and 12 of 39 aircraft were lost in accidents.

 

[BravoZulu]

A Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King from USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) hovers over the Apollo 13 command capsule and USN divers recovering the astronauts. April 17th, 1970.

 

[Chazman]

Seven aerial photographs showing the major different modernizations of the U.S. Navy Essex-class aircaft carriers (left to right):
1. USS Franklin (CV-13), a "short hull" type as delivered, 21 February 1944. Franklin, USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), USS Boxer (CV-21), USS Princeton (CV-37), USS Tarawa (CV-40), USS Valley Forge (CV-45) and USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) received no or little modernization.
2. USS Wasp (CV-18), after her SCB-27A conversion in late 1951: new hydraulic catapults, new island, removal of the deck guns, new bow. Modernized as such were USS Essex (CV-9), USS Yorktown (CV-10),
3. USS Hornet (CV-12), USS Randolph (CV-15), Wasp, USS Bennington (CV-20), USS Kearsarge (CV-33) and USS Lake Champlain (CV-39). USS Oriskany (CV-34) was completed as such.
4. USS Hancock (CV-19) after her SCB-27C modernization, circa 1955: like SCB-27A but new steam catapults and relocation of the aft elevator to the deck edge. USS Intrepid (CV-11) and USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) also received SCB-27C.
5. USS Antietam (CV-36) after the installation of an experimental angled deck, circa 1954.
USS Bennington (CV-20) after SCB-125: enclosed hurricane bow, angled deck, starboard deckedge elevator. USS Essex (CV-9), USS Yorktown (CV-10),
6. USS Hornet (CV-12), USS Randolph (CV-15), Wasp, USS Bennington (CV-20) and USS Kearsarge (CV-33) received SCB-125.
7. USS Hancock (CV-19) after SCB-125 in April 1957. The three SCB-27C ships were modernized as such an had the starboard deckedge elevator located further aft. The forward elevator was enlarged.
USS Oriskany (CV-34) received SCB-125A, here on 30 May 1974. Similar to SCB-27C/SCB-125, only the starboard deckedge elevator was located further forward, as with the SCB-27A/SCB-125 ships. USS Lexington (CV-16), USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) and USS Shangri-La (CV-38) received SCB-27C/SCB-125 in one refit but had the starboard elevator in the same position as Oriskany.

 

[Redav]

 

[Redav]

Spain
R01 Dedalo shortly upon arriving in Spain

 

[Redav]

12/17/2019 Newport News Shipbuilding division launched the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) into the James River on ahead of the original schedule. Photo by Ashley Cowan/HII

 

[santana]

Aircraft carrier Cavour (550)

 

[Redav]

(12/25/1960) USS Intrepid (CVA-11), USS Saratoga (CV-60), and USS Independence (CVA-62) Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Naval Aviation, USN Image/Nara

 

[santana]

Midway class USS Franklin D Roosevelt (CV-42), Cimarron Class USS Tolovana (AO-64), Fletcher Class USS Black (DD-666). Gulf of Tonkin, September 1966

 

[CorkyM]

 

[Redav]

USS Independence (CV-62)
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)
USS Constellation (CV-64)
USS Ranger (CV-61)

 

[Redav]

Japan

The aircraft carrier Kaga is reborn as she receives a full width bow that matches the width of her flight deck. This is part of the F-35B suitability conversion. This will allow her to fly F-35Bs off her deck by using a much longer portion of her length for rolling takeoffs. Sadly, no HMS QE style ski-jumps but USN style flat decks.

 

[CorkyM]

USS Enterprise (CVN-65)

 

[Chazman]

Aerial view of the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships USS Tarawa (LHA-1), left, and USS Essex (LHD-2), right moored at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, California (USA), in 1993. The decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-61) is in a graving dock in the background.
National Archives: 6489324

 

[Redav]

HMAS Melbourne
1983

 

[Redav]

 

[CorkyM]

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

 

[santana]

USS Coral Sea (CV-43) with a crowded flight deck leaving Pearl Harbor in April 1963. CVG-15 on board.

 

[santana]

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Airman performs maintenance on a catapult on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Pacific Ocean June 7, 2016

 

[santana]

Douglas AD-5W Skyraider of Airborne Early Warning squadron VAW-11 on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge (CVA-33) in the western Pacific. between 1957 and 1958