Construction of an aircraft carrier was a high hurdle
"Furious" in the middle stage of remodeling. A barricade to prevent falls is seen in the lower left (Image: Crown Copyright).
An aircraft carrier, a so-called "aircraft carrier", has become an indispensable presence in the modern navy. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is also looking to refurbish its existing helicopter-carrying destroyers, the Izumo class, to give them carrier capabilities. [Photo] Comparing the three deck type and the full deck type of the Japanese aircraft carrier "Kaga" One of the characteristics of an aircraft carrier is that it is possible to attack targets far away where artillery shells cannot reach with the aircraft it carries. , The point is that the range of operations is expanded. Since the Wright Brothers' success in manned powered flight, it was natural to turn mobile warships into platforms for land-based aircraft that could take off and land anywhere in the world. The construction of aircraft carriers began during World War I. The British navy took the lead, but each country is going through trial and error at first. So, let's trace the history of what difficulties each country faced in the early days of commercialization of aircraft carriers. The British Navy's "Furious" is said to be the first aircraft carrier in history. The ship had a flight deck for launching in the front, and launched aircraft landed at a land base. After that, a landing deck was added at the rear, but the high-rise bridge and chimney remained standing in the center of the hull, and in order to move between the front and back decks, it was decided to provide passageways for aircraft on both sides. was the shape. However, the bridge and chimney in the center of the hull were a nuisance for aircraft takeoff and landing ships. Therefore, "Furious" has undergone a modification to move the bridge and funnel below the flight deck. In addition, the "Argus", which was born subsequently, finally has a flash deck (all-through flight deck) structure with only the flight deck.
Hangar heats up
The first American aircraft carrier, the Langley (Image: US Navy).
In parallel with the United Kingdom, the United States also built the flash deck "Langley", and Japan also built the "Hosho". By the way, this "Hosho" will be the world's first ship designed and built as an aircraft carrier from the beginning. Hosho had an island-shaped bridge and four chimneys on the right side of the center of the hull, but some people said they were an obstacle, so they moved them below the flight deck. rice field. However, if the bridge is moved to the lower tip of the flight deck, the visibility becomes worse. In the above-mentioned "Furious" and "Argus", the bridge is raised to the flight deck while sailing, but in this state the aircraft cannot take off. "Along with the bridge, the chimney was also an obstacle." Smoke exhaust disturbs the airflow on the flight deck and has a serious effect on landing and departing ships. Therefore, "Argus" and "Furious" moved the chimney to the side below the flight deck, turning the hangar into a "hot hell". As a countermeasure, I decided to extend the exhaust port to the stern. Japan installed the chimneys on the sides of the battlecruisers that followed "Hosho" and the modified battleship carriers "Akagi" and "Kaga", with the exhaust vents bent 120 degrees facing the sea surface. Even so, the hangar became hot, so Kaga extended the exhaust port to the stern, and Akagi divided the chimney into two, one large and one small, with the smaller chimney facing upwards. The United States will also complete the modified battlecruiser carriers "Lexington" and "Saratoga." Two ships have an island-type bridge, and the method of minimizing the impact on the flight deck was taken by placing a huge funnel higher than the bridge. The British built a new aircraft carrier, "Harmiz," with a single bridge and chimney, and a high exhaust port. Over time, this form became the standard in the United States and Great Britain.
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