Thank you Squarespace for sponsoring this video. Check out Squarespace: squarespace.com/megaprojects for 10% off on your first purchase of a website/domain.
Well, I guess I'm stopping everything I'm doing for the next hour and a half while I learn about aircraft carriers from Simon and team. This is worthy of a fresh pot of coffee!
Really they should be called ‘Aircraft Launchers’ cos if all they did was just carry aircraft no one would see the need to wear brown underwear pants!😎🤣
I really like this series. Even though im asleep be half hour mark. It's not boring its actually pretty good stuff its just my sleep schedule that's fcd up
Agreed, laying here with a CPAP mask on, opiates kicking in it's good to concentrate on something like this. I get about halfway and fall asleep. But!!!! I rewatch in the morning. (Always)
You missed the apptly named 'helicopter destroyer' which are currently being upgraded for F-35s. Also there is this whole crazy thing about countries being creative with thier ship designations to get around sanctions, laws, and treaties that you kinda missed as well. Overall great video, really enjoyed it.
You missed the Japanese Izumo-class (Izumo and Kaga), both of which have been or are in the process of being upgraded for F-35B operations and they've already done several F-35B take-off/landings with USMC F-35Bs, and Japan has placed their order for 42 F-35Bs.
Anything that launches fixed wing aircraft would include the Wasp and America Classes (LHD and LHA respectively). And the "Destroyers" JS Izumo and Kaga.
“A Serbian bloke shot an Austrian fellow.” This exquisite blend of content and rhetoric is sublime. You and your writing staff are proof of the inherent good of the (semi-)free market ideology which RUclips is built upon.
Simon, you forgot 2 other classes of US “aircraft carriers”. Although technically they are amphibious assault ships, they still have fixed wing aircraft onboard to support amphibious operations, and a secondary light carrier with up to 20 AV-8B’s, or 20 F-35B’s carried in the secondary role. They are the older Wasp Class LHD, and the newer America Class LHA. Both are conventional powered, similar in size to a WWII fleet carrier, and the new LHA has a displacement of 44,000 tons. Combined the total number of both vessels is 9.
I don't think those ships are considered aircraft carriers, despite the fact planes fly off of them. Other countries might consider the LHA and LHD class ships aircraft carriers but the U.S. does not. This is due to the primary purpose of the two respective ships: the aircraft carrier's is to launch and recover aircraft, the LHA/LHD is to facilitate an amphibious or ground assault.
@@chrisbusenkell hence the use of amphibious assault ships. However some countries like Spain have an “Aircraft Carrier” that is an amphibious assault ship that were mentioned.
Just so you know, wooden sailing frigates are generally not considered ships of the line and are indeed the sort of lighter vessels that term is meant to exclude.
Former US Navy nuclear reactor operator here! I was stationed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). The Nimitz class of carriers were powered by 2 identical reactors, one mid-ships and one aft, each having slightly different operating pressure-temperature curves. The Enterprise (The Big E) had a whopping 8 smaller reactors. There were 5 different models of reactors on the Big E. If you were a Reactor Operator (RO) on the Big E, you likely could only stand watch on one or two of the reactors. The Big E was also a little longer than the Nimitz class carriers, so it could actually move a little faster.
Nov 1944 largest ship sunk by torpedo 68,000T , today the largest ship is 657,000T. Got to love the Spanish Carlos, more tapas bars than aircraft. What a great script . Love Simon in the clouds.
Some other notable milestones: Birmingham, the first to have a plane take off; Ark Royal (1914), the first to have a hangar; Engadine, the seaplane carrier at Jutland; Wakamiya, the first sea-to-land air strike, Furious, the first one to land a wheeled plane (and how difficult it was); Langley, Lexington, and Courageous, the first to have catapults; Hermes, the first to have an enclosed "Atlantic" bow that became the standard; Ark Royal (91), the first to have enclosed hangars that have become standard, and invented naval fighter direction; Unicorn, the first aircraft maintenance and repair depot ship; Perseus and Ark Royal (R09), the first with modern-day steam catapults; Antietam and Victorious, the first angled flight decks, and Kaga and other "helicopter destroyers" like Hyuga and Izumo (but most importantly Kaga), the first carriers to pretend to be destroyers. Battles: Matapan, Taranto, and Bismarck, the battles that ended the era of battleships forever. Also, naval aviation without a mention of Swordfish...
I really enjoy most if not all of Simon's channels. This particular episode, however, had me frequently thinking (and once saying out loud) "that's what she said." 😂
Thank you Simon. My grandfather was the Flight Engineer at Test Flight Farnborough to Capt Eric "Winkle" Brown who was the first pilot to land a jet aircraft on an aircraft carrier. He also has the world record for most deck landings at over 2,000
barely halfway through and the concept of the submarine carrier got me super excited about the latter part of the video where simon'll most likely talk about drone carriers and submarine drone carriers. now that'd be a thing to fear, a sub that could pop up anywhere in the sea and launch hundreds of drones carrying a fearsome payload to precise locations for the fraction of the cost of ballistic missiles used on some subs to this very day at a fraction of its price
Fujian: conventionally powered (unimpressive) EMALS without any prior CATOBAR experience (that's going to be fun, esp.with an air wing that hardly ever trains at night)
My last active duty station in the Navy was the Naval Historical Center in DC. NHC, as the name implies, is responsible for all things historic in the Navy and as such, was the command division of the USS Constitution, Old Iron Sides. Thanks to command SOP, some of us traveled to Boston for the annual harbor go-round the Constitution sailed each year on the 4th of July. Don't know if that's still a thing as I got out (mumble) years ago. One of the hardest things for us to do at NHC was to find the kind of craftsmen with the skills necessary to repair and maintain a 230+ year old ship as originally built. Cheers....
How did they start? Long time ago, sailors were not content with lobbing hate a couple dozen miles away. They got together and decided as a group that it would be great to lob hate many hundreds of miles away.
This was great! Request: Could you do an episode covering wartime production of ships, planes, tanks, etc. during WWII? You hear tales of the American war machine after Pearl Harbor, but really don't know how much of it was true or not
I think its universally agreed the C-130 is one of the most impressive planes ever made. Add to its list of accomplishents that it is aircraft carrier friendly. During an experimental period the U.S. Navy had one conduct trials over the span of several months. A KC-130 made approx. 21 landings and unassisted takeoffs in 1963 off the USS Forrestal. There are videos of it. Amazing. Due to the fact the Navy has no C-130s the pilots were from the U.S. Air Force. I doubt the distinction wasn't made a bragging point given the rivalry between the two fraternally fueding groups of pilots.
The US's premier "helicopter assault ships" are the Wasp and America class and they each can easily carry a more impressive fixed wing compliment than anything outside of the Charles de Gaulle or Queen Elizabeth class.
Kinzhal is definitely not a threat to a carrier strike group. Patriot has been eating them for breakfast in Ukraine. Aegis can more than handle it. I'm more concerned about a saturation attack
I’m surprised you didn’t mention: 1.) The World War I zeppelins that were fitted with parasite fighters, because that would technically count. 2.) The Fairey Swordfish bomber. I mean, it got its own video, but the meme is so funny in how it outmatched all odds that it would still be worth mentioning.
Simon. You missed the use of automated landing system. Currently in use by the US Navy, the current version can land every single F/A-18E/F/G and F-35B/C within the same 6 ft box every single time.
Are carriers still needed? Well, speaking at someone who spent a good bit of time in 1982 under air attack, I say they are. If you remove a naval forces air cover, you will never be able to send that force within range of land based aircraft. You will just be providing your enemy with lots of targets. Drones can force ships to expend their anti-war missiles, leaving the ships totally at risk. Remember what happened to H.M.S. Repulse and Prince of Wales in 1941, no air cover and taken out by land based aircraft.
at 1:09:16 that is the USS Constellation CV-64 correctly labeled Kittyhawk class. I lived in her for two years. A veritable airport as an upstairs neighbor with four thousand below. One of the first American war ships to onboard females. 80 I believe though I can't find that fact. It was a trip. Sailed her from Florida to Trinidad, around the Horn, Acapulco, landing in San Diego.
Thanks for the in depth video. In a world where everything has to be condensed down to 12 minutes it is nice to get a good, meaty video that goes in depth on a topic.
You made a huge omission when discussing the EMAS system. It has two huge advantages over steam-based catapults: speed and stamina. A steam catapult requires pressurized steam to launch aircraft. This is generated using steam from the nuclear reactor. This takes time to make and build up. A steam catapult is a very well perfected system, and can't get much better. But it's need for steam is a big drawback. It takes time to build up, and after a certain number of launches, it isn't capable of launching aircraft again. Depending on operations, it can take hours to fully replenish it's launching capabilities. The EMAS doesn't have that limitation. It can launch faster as it doesn't need to recharge the steam pressurization system, so it can reload and fire again as quickly as you can retract the launcher. Also, it doesn't have a limit as to how many it can launch before it has to stop to recharge the steam. It can just keep going as long as the power plants can keep functioning. This means more planes launched, more frequently, and without delays. This huge advantage will lead to the development of other EMAS type catapults.
I'm surprised that Simon hasn't passed out from narrating this video 😂 All in all this is great history about how aircraft carriers have evolved over the years. Good job Simon
@@barrygeekler6458only to people like you who haven’t been IN a world war but you’ll understand what happens when you do and your so called ally is cruel with money because Germany didn’t pay back anything to their allies
I've got a buddy who worked on a Nimitz. You truly cannot understand the scale of these things until you witness them with your own eyes. Gargantuan. Cities on the sea. Also, as a mariner, it does make me wonder and worry... because anyone who has spent much time on the water knows that a ship is "a hole in the water that you throw money into." I suppose, at least I know where my taxes as an American go.
Tony Scott's Top Gun footage of the opening credits of an F-14 Tomcat being arrested is so iconic, that if it had not been used in a modern documentary of aircraft carriers, then I would've down-rated this video. Kudos Simon and team on a job, done.
ENGLAND! My England, my Avalon of old. Disseminatting her research to her prodigal son the USA, we love and esteem you, your King, and the people. Thank you.
The Buffalo was replaced by the Wildcat, not the Corsair. The Hellcat replaced the Wildcat, but when Corsairs entered service the U.S.N considered them too hazardous to fly from carriers. The U.S. Marines took them to war in the Pacific, operating from land bases. The Royal Navy operated its Corsairs from carriers from the beginning. Eventually the U.S. Navy, after some changes to the aircraft, allowed them to operate from carriers.
For a weapon that became so incredibly important so quickly (once the Japanese showed how to use them properly), the aircraft carrier was still held back by battleship admirals who controlled operational doctrine for almost too long. Even when confronted with the results of US Navy Fleet Problems (Drachinifel has a nice series on those) it was difficult to make best use of carriers at first. They are fascinating devices.
Just remember, the US has 11 of these behemoths. More than the next 8 countries combined. This doesn’t count light/helicopter carriers and amphibious landing ships.
True but remember your top of the line carrier at the time was repeatedly sunk by a Swedish diesel electric submarine in 2005 wargames. They are an amazing platform but also a huge target and increasingly vulnerable.
He didn’t say that. He said the carriers from the US are, and then names three. On the screen however it does say UK in front of the last two. So you get a half point. 😊
My dad led the team at General electric that developed the first electronic Heads up display that was designed for the navy to help pilots.Is pilots during landing on the carrier. He passed away a year ago.So the section where you are showing the predecessor what is that sir broad memories of him Explaining to me what he was designing a replacement for. Thank you
When you discussed how the U.S. had broken Japanese code before Midway, you missed explaining how that happened, namely from radio intercepts during the daring April 1942 Doolittle raid on Tokyo performed by full-sized *bombers* launched from...a U.S. Navy *carrier*, the Hornet.
1:21:52 Well of course that is their last planned type of carrier. No other nation has the new tech yet, which causes China some issues. Chinese ship development breaks down into the time honed skills of larceny and a box of tracing paper.
A great one, though, I would like to have seen the America Class, even if you skipped the Wasp. It is easily as capable as the vast majority of carriers described. The US just does not want to call it a carrier, because they would have to admit to overkill with 20 carriers. And no potential opponent having more than three.
I was a bit surprised that Japan's "helicopter carriers" weren't included in the list of modern carriers. They're probably the most powerful behind the US and Chinese carriers.
edit: this comment is just me nitpicking because i'm a massive naval warfare nerd. the video is good i just like nitpicking and i can do a lot of it No USS Birmingham? First airplane take-off from a warship in human history? No? No mention? Edit: And Pennsylvania barely gets a mention for the first airplane landing on a warship. Wonderful. edit 2: a close look into Hermes and none for the Yorktowns. My guy. (As of the end of the interwar chapter) edit 3: just realised there was ALSO no mention of the off-deck elevators on Wasp and the Essexes. edit 4: Ah yes, the Buffalo was directly replaced with the Corsair and the Wildcat and Hellcat aren't real. (43:35) edit 5: Mentioning Illustrious' 36 aircraft and not giving a point of reference is also hysterical to me. For reference, a Yorktown would generally have about 85. (Edit onto this edit: Has he mentioned another carrier's number carried at any point throughout this video? Like, he made 36 sound like a lot. It wasn't for the time and still isn't really- just look at the Yorktowns.) (nvm it just took him 20 minutes (1:09:20 he mentions the Kitty Hawks having their 90 with the Audacious and Invincibles with their 40 and 20 and the clemenceau with 40)) (and the 30 of the Kyivs) edit 6: (mentions an Essex in the context of wwII) (uses an image of one from way after the war ended (i think about the 60s)) edit 7: -Light carriers designed from the bottom up to be between Escort and Fleet carriers -San Jacinto (Not a nameship and converted from a light cruiser) edit 8: 50:00 NO MIDWAY?? NO TArANTO? NO PEArL? skipping to Philippine Sea? Why?? (OOkay he went back to Midway and briefly Pearl but the way Pearl was talked about made it seem like carriers were hit there (which they weren't) and the lack of Taranto is really interesting) edit 9: 55:38 Hiryu's counterattack ultimately sunk Yorktown. Yeah, sure. Whatever, at this point. edit 10: 58:22 im sorry i just cant let you get away with putting an old-timey filter over an F-35B takeoff edit 11: not really that important but the lack of mention that a catapult is better than a ski jump at getting heavy aircraft airborne (hence the lack of F-35C on the QEs) is just like. i mean come on. edit 12: 1:01:50 Simon you've shown a lot of images of carriers with angled flight decks by now. Including in the context of WW2, as mentioned in edit 6. edit 13: 1:02:55 NUH UH. I am not letting you get away with saying Enterprise-class and showing an image of CVN-80 (a Ford-class carrier), nevermind the fact that CVN-65 never got any sisters so saying she had a class is a misnomer
Then there are the US America class and Wasp class also carry fixed wing A/C and the Japanese DDHs which also launch F-35s. Soon to add a CV in south Korea. Egypt and Australia have 2 ships each capable of F-35s.
Aircraft carriers aren’t going anywhere soon.. until they can figure out how to launch planes from solid ground, that can reach their objectives across the planet, we’re ALWAYS going to need a platform to launch aircraft off of
A frigate is not a ship of the line. They are 4th or 5th rates. Ships of the line are 3rd rate and above, typically for RN was the 74 gunner 3rd rate. The smallest ships of the line. Frigates staid out of the line of battle and had their own fights some distance away. Occasionally one would give it a try and eat a broadside from a 74 and limp away or strike their colour.
What was the first plane to have folding and unfolding wings specifically for fitting more planes onto a carrier? Edit: 31:20 Oh, holy moly you actually tagged this topic, and I, for whatever reason, did not expect that. Cool beans, man. I dunno if that was the first one, but it certainly had to have been close if it wasn't.
Thank you Squarespace for sponsoring this video. Check out Squarespace: squarespace.com/megaprojects for 10% off on your first purchase of a website/domain.
Qq see
97 Minutes of Simon Talking about Aircraft carriers.... YES
Can’t wait to fall asleep to this for the next 4 nights
Hahaaaa this is pretty boring
each to their own
hell yeah sea power
Why watch 97 minutes, when Dr Alexander Clarke is going through Aircraft Carrier history since January. Good channel by a Naval Historian.
Well, I guess I'm stopping everything I'm doing for the next hour and a half while I learn about aircraft carriers from Simon and team. This is worthy of a fresh pot of coffee!
Fantastic! I'm listening along while I grind on Ark
Really they should be called ‘Aircraft Launchers’ cos if all they did was just carry aircraft no one would see the need to wear brown underwear pants!😎🤣
Tea make the man some tea.
I really like this series. Even though im asleep be half hour mark. It's not boring its actually pretty good stuff its just my sleep schedule that's fcd up
Mines due too crippling pain which keeps me awake and loving when I can get some random sleep.
Also, Simon is the best thing to fall asleep to.
Agreed, laying here with a CPAP mask on, opiates kicking in it's good to concentrate on something like this. I get about halfway and fall asleep. But!!!! I rewatch in the morning. (Always)
@@heatherbee4248 and *on*
errm, probably.
You missed the apptly named 'helicopter destroyer' which are currently being upgraded for F-35s. Also there is this whole crazy thing about countries being creative with thier ship designations to get around sanctions, laws, and treaties that you kinda missed as well. Overall great video, really enjoyed it.
You missed the Japanese Izumo-class (Izumo and Kaga), both of which have been or are in the process of being upgraded for F-35B operations and they've already done several F-35B take-off/landings with USMC F-35Bs, and Japan has placed their order for 42 F-35Bs.
Simon, blink twice if you're not allowed to leave the Studio
FR bro seems to be at gun point
who’s kept in the basement?
But...a day without listening to Simon is like a day without a parade..😢
blink/hostage Now THAT'S funny
He has to make sure Danny never leaves the basement
Anything that launches fixed wing aircraft would include the Wasp and America Classes (LHD and LHA respectively). And the "Destroyers" JS Izumo and Kaga.
“A Serbian bloke shot an Austrian fellow.” This exquisite blend of content and rhetoric is sublime. You and your writing staff are proof of the inherent good of the (semi-)free market ideology which RUclips is built upon.
Correction: “…which RUclips *was* built upon.”
Simon, you forgot 2 other classes of US “aircraft carriers”. Although technically they are amphibious assault ships, they still have fixed wing aircraft onboard to support amphibious operations, and a secondary light carrier with up to 20 AV-8B’s, or 20 F-35B’s carried in the secondary role. They are the older Wasp Class LHD, and the newer America Class LHA. Both are conventional powered, similar in size to a WWII fleet carrier, and the new LHA has a displacement of 44,000 tons. Combined the total number of both vessels is 9.
I don't think those ships are considered aircraft carriers, despite the fact planes fly off of them. Other countries might consider the LHA and LHD class ships aircraft carriers but the U.S. does not. This is due to the primary purpose of the two respective ships: the aircraft carrier's is to launch and recover aircraft, the LHA/LHD is to facilitate an amphibious or ground assault.
@@chrisbusenkell hence the use of amphibious assault ships. However some countries like Spain have an “Aircraft Carrier” that is an amphibious assault ship that were mentioned.
@@chrisbusenkell Yes they are.. Watch a video called 'How to build an aircraft carrier' by Dr Alexander Clake - Naval Historian.
Also japan is converting their assault ships to be f35 ready.
ye they could be classified as light aircraft carriers or idk escort carriers
1:05 - Mid roll ads
2:30 - Chapter 1 - Origins & WWI
14:20 - Chapter 2 - Interwar developments
41:35 - Chapter 3 - WWII
56:40 - Chapter 4 - The cold war
1:15:30 - Chapter 5 - The carrier today
1:36:40 - Conclusion
THANK YOU!!! (seriously, I’ve been looking for this for a while)
Is should get pinned.
you are amazing
Holy Crap. Thank you!!!
Just so you know, wooden sailing frigates are generally not considered ships of the line and are indeed the sort of lighter vessels that term is meant to exclude.
Former US Navy nuclear reactor operator here! I was stationed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).
The Nimitz class of carriers were powered by 2 identical reactors, one mid-ships and one aft, each having slightly different operating pressure-temperature curves. The Enterprise (The Big E) had a whopping 8 smaller reactors. There were 5 different models of reactors on the Big E. If you were a Reactor Operator (RO) on the Big E, you likely could only stand watch on one or two of the reactors. The Big E was also a little longer than the Nimitz class carriers, so it could actually move a little faster.
If the big e had 8 reactors and five diff types how many were the same? Did one kind have three copies of it or did three of them have doubles?
@@Legion-xq8eo They doubled up on three of them.
@@sixft7in Was that to account for different optimal operating conditions?
Simon thanks for these Long movies about specific topics, loved the one covering ars tanks and choopers
Nov 1944 largest ship sunk by torpedo 68,000T , today the largest ship is 657,000T. Got to love the Spanish Carlos, more tapas bars than aircraft. What a great script . Love Simon in the clouds.
Some other notable milestones: Birmingham, the first to have a plane take off; Ark Royal (1914), the first to have a hangar; Engadine, the seaplane carrier at Jutland; Wakamiya, the first sea-to-land air strike, Furious, the first one to land a wheeled plane (and how difficult it was); Langley, Lexington, and Courageous, the first to have catapults; Hermes, the first to have an enclosed "Atlantic" bow that became the standard; Ark Royal (91), the first to have enclosed hangars that have become standard, and invented naval fighter direction; Unicorn, the first aircraft maintenance and repair depot ship; Perseus and Ark Royal (R09), the first with modern-day steam catapults; Antietam and Victorious, the first angled flight decks, and Kaga and other "helicopter destroyers" like Hyuga and Izumo (but most importantly Kaga), the first carriers to pretend to be destroyers. Battles: Matapan, Taranto, and Bismarck, the battles that ended the era of battleships forever. Also, naval aviation without a mention of Swordfish...
I really enjoy most if not all of Simon's channels. This particular episode, however, had me frequently thinking (and once saying out loud) "that's what she said." 😂
Served on board the CV-67 J.F.K. she was the last conventional(oil burning) carrier in Desert Storm/operation Iraqi Freedom.
Thanks for this video. As an Alien its interesting to know the standard Human behavior of blowing one another up.
Green or gray?
@@pindakaas4443lizzard....
@@pindakaas4443 green
Na-noo Na -noo 😂
@quadrantalerror1121 That is exactly what a Grey would say 💀
Nice, the opening shot is of the Hornet docked in Alameda California. My kid plays soccer just down the street at Hornet field.
Boy this was a beast to get through. It took 3 separate sittings and it being on in the background as I did chores. Loved it!
The armour belt on a warship is NOT where a torpedo would hit. The belt is for naval gunfire. The torpedo defence system is below the waterline.
TOMCATS!!!
Anytime, Baby! 😎🤙
Imagine getting paid to learn and talk about stuff like this. I do the same thing but instead of getting paid my coworkers just ignore me
but i guarantee you have better hair😂
@@TurdfurgusonJr you are wise man
Thank you Simon. My grandfather was the Flight Engineer at Test Flight Farnborough to Capt Eric "Winkle" Brown who was the first pilot to land a jet aircraft on an aircraft carrier. He also has the world record for most deck landings at over 2,000
And first to land a twin engined aircraft on a carrier & first to land an aircraft without landing gear on a carrier
Reviewing WWII history was refreshing. Thanks for the comprehensive look at carriers. Now I want to start my own defence contractor company.
Every plane goes 107 MPH regardless of what Simon says :)
Came to the comments to see if I was the only one who noticed 😂👍
Yup. Editors made a stuff-up there
barely halfway through and the concept of the submarine carrier got me super excited about the latter part of the video where simon'll most likely talk about drone carriers and submarine drone carriers. now that'd be a thing to fear, a sub that could pop up anywhere in the sea and launch hundreds of drones carrying a fearsome payload to precise locations for the fraction of the cost of ballistic missiles used on some subs to this very day at a fraction of its price
Fujian:
conventionally powered (unimpressive)
EMALS without any prior CATOBAR experience (that's going to be fun, esp.with an air wing that hardly ever trains at night)
MEGA PROJECTS: 2 slot toaster and its humble beginnings.
My last active duty station in the Navy was the Naval Historical Center in DC. NHC, as the name implies, is responsible for all things historic in the Navy and as such, was the command division of the USS Constitution, Old Iron Sides. Thanks to command SOP, some of us traveled to Boston for the annual harbor go-round the Constitution sailed each year on the 4th of July. Don't know if that's still a thing as I got out (mumble) years ago. One of the hardest things for us to do at NHC was to find the kind of craftsmen with the skills necessary to repair and maintain a 230+ year old ship as originally built. Cheers....
How did they start?
Long time ago, sailors were not content with lobbing hate a couple dozen miles away. They got together and decided as a group that it would be great to lob hate many hundreds of miles away.
This was great! Request: Could you do an episode covering wartime production of ships, planes, tanks, etc. during WWII? You hear tales of the American war machine after Pearl Harbor, but really don't know how much of it was true or not
I think its universally agreed the C-130 is one of the most impressive planes ever made. Add to its list of accomplishents that it is aircraft carrier friendly. During an experimental period the U.S. Navy had one conduct trials over the span of several months. A KC-130 made approx. 21 landings and unassisted takeoffs in 1963 off the USS Forrestal. There are videos of it. Amazing. Due to the fact the Navy has no C-130s the pilots were from the U.S. Air Force. I doubt the distinction wasn't made a bragging point given the rivalry between the two fraternally fueding groups of pilots.
Lt James A Flatley III and Lt.Cmdr. W.W. Stovall, both Navy pilots, flew a Marine C130 for that test. No Air Farce in sight.
No pilots involved; only aviators. 😉
The US's premier "helicopter assault ships" are the Wasp and America class and they each can easily carry a more impressive fixed wing compliment than anything outside of the Charles de Gaulle or Queen Elizabeth class.
Kinzhal is definitely not a threat to a carrier strike group. Patriot has been eating them for breakfast in Ukraine. Aegis can more than handle it. I'm more concerned about a saturation attack
This channel continues to be one of my best subscriptions to date.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention:
1.) The World War I zeppelins that were fitted with parasite fighters, because that would technically count.
2.) The Fairey Swordfish bomber. I mean, it got its own video, but the meme is so funny in how it outmatched all odds that it would still be worth mentioning.
FANTASTIC JOB Simon. Without a doubt this is the best video you've ever done. God bless you sir. 🫡 🇬🇧 🇺🇸
Simon. You missed the use of automated landing system. Currently in use by the US Navy, the current version can land every single F/A-18E/F/G and F-35B/C within the same 6 ft box every single time.
Are carriers still needed? Well, speaking at someone who spent a good bit of time in 1982 under air attack, I say they are. If you remove a naval forces air cover, you will never be able to send that force within range of land based aircraft. You will just be providing your enemy with lots of targets. Drones can force ships to expend their anti-war missiles, leaving the ships totally at risk. Remember what happened to H.M.S. Repulse and Prince of Wales in 1941, no air cover and taken out by land based aircraft.
at 1:09:16 that is the USS Constellation CV-64 correctly labeled Kittyhawk class. I lived in her for two years. A veritable airport as an upstairs neighbor with four thousand below. One of the first American war ships to onboard females. 80 I believe though I can't find that fact. It was a trip. Sailed her from Florida to Trinidad, around the Horn, Acapulco, landing in San Diego.
The technical location of Midway Island totally killed me lmao
Right On Go Army!
Thanks for the in depth video. In a world where everything has to be condensed down to 12 minutes it is nice to get a good, meaty video that goes in depth on a topic.
You made a huge omission when discussing the EMAS system. It has two huge advantages over steam-based catapults: speed and stamina.
A steam catapult requires pressurized steam to launch aircraft. This is generated using steam from the nuclear reactor. This takes time to make and build up. A steam catapult is a very well perfected system, and can't get much better. But it's need for steam is a big drawback. It takes time to build up, and after a certain number of launches, it isn't capable of launching aircraft again. Depending on operations, it can take hours to fully replenish it's launching capabilities.
The EMAS doesn't have that limitation. It can launch faster as it doesn't need to recharge the steam pressurization system, so it can reload and fire again as quickly as you can retract the launcher. Also, it doesn't have a limit as to how many it can launch before it has to stop to recharge the steam. It can just keep going as long as the power plants can keep functioning. This means more planes launched, more frequently, and without delays. This huge advantage will lead to the development of other EMAS type catapults.
I'm surprised that Simon hasn't passed out from narrating this video 😂 All in all this is great history about how aircraft carriers have evolved over the years. Good job Simon
The British came up with the angled flight deck. The meatball was also a British design.
Desperate for the old glory days english lol, too bad the royal navy is only a world class joke these days.
@@barrygeekler6458?
@@barrygeekler6458only to people like you who haven’t been IN a world war but you’ll understand what happens when you do and your so called ally is cruel with money because Germany didn’t pay back anything to their allies
And the amazing Legend of Thomas Cochran continues astound. This guy was absolute mayhem on the high seas.
I've got a buddy who worked on a Nimitz. You truly cannot understand the scale of these things until you witness them with your own eyes. Gargantuan. Cities on the sea. Also, as a mariner, it does make me wonder and worry... because anyone who has spent much time on the water knows that a ship is "a hole in the water that you throw money into." I suppose, at least I know where my taxes as an American go.
It's big, it's heavy, it's bulky, and always ready!
RESPECT,
THROUGHOUT THE CHANGING LOCATIONS OF BODY HAIR, YOUR HISTORY FROM MOP TOP TO SOUP STRAINER BEARD HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY.
THANK YOU,🔱⭐
In my 5 deployments on 3 CVN's I always couldn't wait to get off the ship. Now I miss them.
Tony Scott's Top Gun footage of the opening credits of an F-14 Tomcat being arrested is so iconic, that if it had not been used in a modern documentary of aircraft carriers, then I would've down-rated this video. Kudos Simon and team on a job, done.
ENGLAND! My England, my Avalon of old. Disseminatting her research to her prodigal son the USA, we love and esteem you, your King, and the people. Thank you.
Jesus Christ that's a long video!
I mean, imma still watch it...
Simon, this is great. Always love your videos - you’re a machine
The Buffalo was replaced by the Wildcat, not the Corsair. The Hellcat replaced the Wildcat, but when Corsairs entered service the U.S.N considered them too hazardous to fly from carriers. The U.S. Marines took them to war in the Pacific, operating from land bases. The Royal Navy operated its Corsairs from carriers from the beginning. Eventually the U.S. Navy, after some changes to the aircraft, allowed them to operate from carriers.
IDK how to send in a suggestion but a megaprojects on the RV FLIP is a realy cool boat
For a weapon that became so incredibly important so quickly (once the Japanese showed how to use them properly), the aircraft carrier was still held back by battleship admirals who controlled operational doctrine for almost too long. Even when confronted with the results of US Navy Fleet Problems (Drachinifel has a nice series on those) it was difficult to make best use of carriers at first. They are fascinating devices.
Let’s talk about I-400 class sub from Japan in WWII! Good reference is “The Fujita plan” book.
i love long & detailed video ❤
especially subject I'm interested in.
Just remember, the US has 11 of these behemoths. More than the next 8 countries combined. This doesn’t count light/helicopter carriers and amphibious landing ships.
Yes but as the Houthis have shown, lumbering expensive platforms are now bested by cheap swarms.
Umm ok?
So? Should we be scared?
True but remember your top of the line carrier at the time was repeatedly sunk by a Swedish diesel electric submarine in 2005 wargames. They are an amazing platform but also a huge target and increasingly vulnerable.
@@churblefurblesYou need to put the bong down.
I'm loving the yt trend towards longer form content
We may have been dragging our feet but it was you guys who thought appeasement was a stellar idea when dealing with that but from Austria.
Loved how during the battle of midway section they used the Battle 360 graphs
Simon , you have a lot to learn about "Hypersonic" weapons.
At 25:01 you say that the uss yorktown is from the UK just so you know
He didn’t say that. He said the carriers from the US are, and then names three. On the screen however it does say UK in front of the last two. So you get a half point. 😊
Just when I thought nobody would say something lol.
Simon you forgot the 7 wasp class ships used by the USMC. They do carry and launch F35s
My dad led the team at General electric that developed the first electronic Heads up display that was designed for the navy to help pilots.Is pilots during landing on the carrier. He passed away a year ago.So the section where you are showing the predecessor what is that sir broad memories of him Explaining to me what he was designing a replacement for. Thank you
When you discussed how the U.S. had broken Japanese code before Midway, you missed explaining how that happened, namely from radio intercepts during the daring April 1942 Doolittle raid on Tokyo performed by full-sized *bombers* launched from...a U.S. Navy *carrier*, the Hornet.
I've watched this 3 times and I was asleep for two of them
1:21:52 Well of course that is their last planned type of carrier. No other nation has the new tech yet, which causes China some issues. Chinese ship development breaks down into the time honed skills of larceny and a box of tracing paper.
I didn't think the studio room would fit into the bridge of that carrier, but I'm seeing it, so it must fit
"A Serbian bloke shot an Austrian fella and ruckus ensued" is a hell of a way to summarize it
..." which is exactly what they said on the tin"
Nice introduction
Humiliating defeat in Perl Harbor? We weren't at war when that bloody attack happened. Nice How you changed history!
Emals is important for launching lighter drones alongside heavy airplanes. The greater range of power and control is important.
"a Serbian bloke shot an Austrian fellow, and a ruckus resulted" best description of the start of WW1
A great one, though, I would like to have seen the America Class, even if you skipped the Wasp. It is easily as capable as the vast majority of carriers described. The US just does not want to call it a carrier, because they would have to admit to overkill with 20 carriers. And no potential opponent having more than three.
Complicated subject very well put together you go girl
Such a great video. Pure quality. Loving every minute of it.
I was a bit surprised that Japan's "helicopter carriers" weren't included in the list of modern carriers. They're probably the most powerful behind the US and Chinese carriers.
What about the Japanese helicopter carriers that are being modified to carry VTOL fighters?
edit: this comment is just me nitpicking because i'm a massive naval warfare nerd. the video is good i just like nitpicking and i can do a lot of it
No USS Birmingham? First airplane take-off from a warship in human history? No? No mention?
Edit: And Pennsylvania barely gets a mention for the first airplane landing on a warship. Wonderful.
edit 2: a close look into Hermes and none for the Yorktowns. My guy. (As of the end of the interwar chapter)
edit 3: just realised there was ALSO no mention of the off-deck elevators on Wasp and the Essexes.
edit 4: Ah yes, the Buffalo was directly replaced with the Corsair and the Wildcat and Hellcat aren't real. (43:35)
edit 5: Mentioning Illustrious' 36 aircraft and not giving a point of reference is also hysterical to me. For reference, a Yorktown would generally have about 85. (Edit onto this edit: Has he mentioned another carrier's number carried at any point throughout this video? Like, he made 36 sound like a lot. It wasn't for the time and still isn't really- just look at the Yorktowns.) (nvm it just took him 20 minutes (1:09:20 he mentions the Kitty Hawks having their 90 with the Audacious and Invincibles with their 40 and 20 and the clemenceau with 40)) (and the 30 of the Kyivs)
edit 6: (mentions an Essex in the context of wwII) (uses an image of one from way after the war ended (i think about the 60s))
edit 7: -Light carriers designed from the bottom up to be between Escort and Fleet carriers -San Jacinto (Not a nameship and converted from a light cruiser)
edit 8: 50:00 NO MIDWAY?? NO TArANTO? NO PEArL? skipping to Philippine Sea? Why?? (OOkay he went back to Midway and briefly Pearl but the way Pearl was talked about made it seem like carriers were hit there (which they weren't) and the lack of Taranto is really interesting)
edit 9: 55:38 Hiryu's counterattack ultimately sunk Yorktown. Yeah, sure. Whatever, at this point.
edit 10: 58:22 im sorry i just cant let you get away with putting an old-timey filter over an F-35B takeoff
edit 11: not really that important but the lack of mention that a catapult is better than a ski jump at getting heavy aircraft airborne (hence the lack of F-35C on the QEs) is just like. i mean come on.
edit 12: 1:01:50 Simon you've shown a lot of images of carriers with angled flight decks by now. Including in the context of WW2, as mentioned in edit 6.
edit 13: 1:02:55 NUH UH. I am not letting you get away with saying Enterprise-class and showing an image of CVN-80 (a Ford-class carrier), nevermind the fact that CVN-65 never got any sisters so saying she had a class is a misnomer
Good points. Just one more small one. It's Spruance, not Spurance.
@@MrWBraxtonRoss thanks for the correction, probably a typo lol
(fixing it now :)
edit: wait i never mentioned spruance
missing Japan's Izumo "destroyer" 😁
also the American class, technically can launch fixed wings 😂
Thanks!
His stuff should definitely be in classrooms.
great video. love the extended length
If it wasn't 10:30 in the morning it would be a fun drinking game to hit it every time Simon says "on the tin"
Then there are the US America class and Wasp class also carry fixed wing A/C and the Japanese DDHs which also launch F-35s. Soon to add a CV in south Korea. Egypt and Australia have 2 ships each capable of F-35s.
Didn't you just do an Aircraft Carrier one on Megaprojects?
Aircraft carriers aren’t going anywhere soon.. until they can figure out how to launch planes from solid ground, that can reach their objectives across the planet, we’re ALWAYS going to need a platform to launch aircraft off of
A frigate is not a ship of the line. They are 4th or 5th rates. Ships of the line are 3rd rate and above, typically for RN was the 74 gunner 3rd rate. The smallest ships of the line. Frigates staid out of the line of battle and had their own fights some distance away. Occasionally one would give it a try and eat a broadside from a 74 and limp away or strike their colour.
kept putting a blue popup "107mph" for every interwar aircraft, even when Simon says a higher top speed.
Also worth a mention the Yak 41 / 141 which was used to partially help develop the F35
Partially, the F-35B powerplant is basically an American liscensed copy of the Yak with some modifications.
@@joeclaridyPure drivel
What was the first plane to have folding and unfolding wings specifically for fitting more planes onto a carrier?
Edit: 31:20 Oh, holy moly you actually tagged this topic, and I, for whatever reason, did not expect that. Cool beans, man. I dunno if that was the first one, but it certainly had to have been close if it wasn't.
video suggestion can you make a full segment on concrete caisson's and or ships?
Him saying 'Firepower' is my fav