100 Years of Naval Aviation

1

Langley’s flying machine

2

First flight of the Wright Flyer 1, Orville piloting,

Wilbur running at wingtip.

3

Washington Irving Chambers,1856 – 1934

4

The A-1 “Triad” hydroaeroplane.

Glenn Curtis

5

6

Early 1911

• January - 1st Carrier landing • January – 1st Curtis Hydroaeroplane flight• March – 1st Funds allocated for “experimental

work in the development of aviation for naval purposes”.

• March – 1st Marine Pilot – Lt. Alfred Cunningham• May – 8 This date upon which the Navy ordered

its first airplane has been officially proclaimed to be the birthday of Naval Aviation.

7

The First Carrier Landing

8

Arresting gear worked!

9

Hydroaeroplane First Flight

10

The Pre WW I Years

• Continued Development:• Catapults• Instrumentation; e.g., Sperry Gyroscope• Wind Tunnel• Seaplanes• Aviation Medicine• Naval Aeronautic Station Pensacola, FL • Quantanamo Bay Aviation Camp

• Anti-submarine Warfare

11

GUANTANAMO BAY AVIATION CAMP

NAVAL AERONAUTIC STATION PENSACOLA, FL

12

WW 1 – Navy N-9 Trainer

13

WW 1 – Antisubmarine Warfare

14

At WW 1 War’s End - 11/18

• The strength of Naval Aviation had grown to a force of:

• 6,716 Naval Officers (48 pilots, 4/17)• 30,693 Navy enlisted men • 282 Marine Corps Officers• 2,180 Marine enlisted units• 2,107 aircraft (54 aircraft, 4/17)• Numerous lighter-than-air craft

15

Carrier Aviation - USS Langley (CV-1)

16

Vought VE-7 / VF-2

17

USS Lexington CV-2

18

1st Monoplane fighter – F2A

19

Naval Aviation Thru The Years

20

NAVY SNJ - A/F AT6

21

War in the Pacific

22

War Plan Orange

23

The Essex Class Carriers – CV9

24

USS Hornet – Doolittle Raid

25

Coral Sea Battle United States Japan

STRENGTH2 fleet carriers Lexington & Yorktown128 carrier aircraft.

STRENGTH2 fleet carriers1 Light Carrier 127 carrier aircraft.

LOSSES1 Fleet carrier scuttled Lexington1 Fleet carrier damaged Yorktown69 Aircraft

LOSSES1 Light carrier sunk

1 Fleet carrier damaged

92 Aircraft

26

Battle of Midway United States Japan

STRENGTH3 fleet carriers Enterprise, Hornet & Yorktown233 carrier aircraft.127 land based a/c

STRENGTH4 fleet carriers

248 carrier aircraft.16 float planes

LOSSES1 Fleet carrier sunk Yorktown

150 aircraft (?)

LOSSES4 Fleet carriers sunk

248 carrier aircraft

27

F4F Wildcats

28

TBD-1 Devastator

29

SBD Dauntless

30

Transitions• WW II to Korea to Vietnam to Gulf Wars

• Propeller A/C to Jet Propelled

• Straight Wing Jets to Swept Wing

• Aircraft Carrier Design

• Angled Deck

• Steam Catapults

• Optical Landing System

• Nuclear Propulsion31

F3D Skynight – Early 50’s

32

F4D Skyray – Mid 50’s

33

776 aircraftdestroyed in

1954

Naval AviationNaval AviationMishap RateMishap Rate

FY 50-97FY 50-97

0

10

20

30

40

50

60 Angled decksAviation Safety Center

Naval Aviation Maintenance Programestablished in 1959 (NAMP)

RAG concept initiatedNATOPS Program initiated 1961

Squadron Safety programSystem Safety Designated Aircraft

ACT

FY

1.84

39 aircraftdestroyed in

1996

USS Princeton

35

USS Antietam

36

Landing Signal Officer (Paddles)

37

Optical Landing System

38

USS Enterprise - CVN 65

39

Naval Aviation Today

40

Chinese Carrier Concept

41

F/A 18 Self-controlled Landing

42

Credits

• 100 Years of U.S. Navy Air Power • Edited by Douglas V. Smith• Forward by G.H.W. Bush

• DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND

• Naval Aviation Publications• United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995 (12 parts)

• Wikipedia

• Naval Aviation News 1943- Spring 2011

43

FH-1 – USS Saipan (CVL)

44