Aircraft carriers had an interesting start – they started out as balloon-carrying wooden ships. From there, they have evolved into nuclear powered war vessels. In 1910, the very first flight from the deck of a US Navy ship occurred and in the 1920s, ships took on “flat tops” so that planes could not only land on them but also sail with them aboard.

The first full-scale use of these crafts occurred during WWII when countries started building their navies. The ships began as smaller “escort” ships that could carry few aircraft and developed into larger ships that could carry upwards of one hundred aircrafts like the carriers of today.

There are two types of aircraft carriers. The first type, called a CV or CVN, is quite large. It’s designed for larger aircraft. The C stands for “carrier” and V is the designation the navy gives to aircraft. These types can carry up to 80 different planes. The other type is smaller carriers that can carry between 15 to 25 helicopters.

Just as there are many classes of travel insurance, aircraft carriers are further divided up by the actual class of ship. The earliest class was the Langley class, which was commissioned in the early 1920s and could carry 30-35 aircraft. Then, there was the Lexington class ship, used from 1927 to 1946, which could carry around 90 aircraft. From 1934 to 1946, the Ranger class was also in use – it carried between 76 and 86 aircraft. Yorktown class ships were used from 1937 to 1947 and could carry 90 aircraft. Wasp class ships were used from 1940 to 1942 and carried up to 76 aircraft.

Then came World War II and new classes of aircraft carriers were introduced. The Essex class ships, which were used from 1942 to 1991, could carry between 90 and 100 aircraft. The Independence class ships could carry 24 F6F Hellcat fighters as well as 9 TMB Avenger torpedo planes.

During the Cold War, many more classes were built. Midway class ships were used from 1945 until 1992. They carried up to 130 aircraft during WWII and 45-55 in the 1980s. Saipan ships were used from 1946 to 1970 and carried 18 F6F Hellcat fighters, 12 SB2C Helldiver scout-bombers, and 12 TBM Avenger torpedo planes. Forrestal class ships carried 90 aircraft and were used from 1955 to 1998. Interestingly, another class of ship, the United States class, was ordered in 1948. Designed to hold 12 to 18 nuclear-capable attack aircraft, none were ever actually built.

John F. Kennedy class ships were first commissioned in 1968. They were used until 2007 and could carry over 80 aircraft. Two classes of ships are still in use today. Both commissioned in 1961, the Kitty Hawk and Enterprise class ships can carry up to 90 aircraft and are still being used by the military. Another ship class still used today is the Nimitz, commissioned in 1975 and able to carry 85 aircraft. The final class of ship to be commissioned is the Gerald R. Ford class, which can carry more than 75 aircraft and are set to be launched in 2015.

• The Aircraft Carrier
• List Of All Carriers Ever Built
• First Of The Super Carriers
• Kitty Hawk Carriers
• US Carrier Deployment History
• Master Index of Links
• Development of Naval Aviation
• US Aircraft Photo Index
• Essex Class Carrier Data
• US Super Carrier List
• USS Lexington Carrier
• Aircraft Carriers And The Korean War
• USS John F. Kennedy
• Vietnam War Carriers
• Yorktown Class Aircraft Carrier

As a result of advancements in technology, aircraft carriers have come a long way since their early conception.