U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIEREvolution of the

history.navy.mil

sources: “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships” Naval History and Heritage Command ; “U.S. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History” by Norman Friedman. Graphics: Annalisa Underwood, James Caiella.

542 Ft1922

36

78

86

90

90-100

130

90

90

90

70+

75+

468Personnel

2,791Personnel

2,461Personnel

2,919Personnel

3,448Personnel

4,675Personnel

4,000+Personnel

4,600Personnel

4,950Personnel

4,582Personnel

4,297Personnel

15.5 knots(17.8 mph)

1elevator1catapult

U.S.Navy’s1st Aircraft

Carrier

1st use ofbulbous

bow

1stU.S. NavyCarrier

built fromkeel up

1stUse of

hydrauliccatapults

1stUse of

ArmouredFlight Deck

1stclass

of“Super-

carriers”

1st nuclear-powered carrier;world’s

longest ship

last conven-tionally poweredU.S. NavyAircraftcarrier

utilizesCATOBAR

launch andrecoverysystem

will allowfor 25% moresorties perday than

nimitz class

1st Use ofangled deck

USS Antietam (CVA 36)

2 elevators1 catapult

3 elevators3 catapults

3 elevators2 catapults

3 elevators2 catapults

4 elevators4 catapults

4 elevators4 catapults

4 elevators4 catapults

4 elevators4 catapults

3 elevators4 catapults

3 elevators(1 deck-edge)0 catapults

on cv 9others, 1-2

33.3 knots(38.3 mph)

29.3 knots(33.7 mph)

32.5 knots(37.4 mph)

32.7 knots(37.6 mph)

33.0 knots(38.0 mph)

33.0 knots(38.0 mph)

33.6 knots(38.7 mph)

34.0 knots(39.1 mph)

31.5 knots(36.2 mph)

30+ knots(35+ mph)

# ofAircraft Facilities NotableSpeed Crew Length

1927

1934

1937

1942

1945

1955

1961

1968

1975

2016

USS Langley (CV 1)

Lexington Class

USS Ranger (CV 4)

Yorktown Class

Essex Class

Midway Class

Forrestal Class

USS Enterprise (CVN 65)

USS John F. Kennedy (CVA 67)

Nimitz Class

Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)

888 Ft

769 Ft

809 Ft

872 Ft

972 Ft

1,036 Ft

1,101 Ft

1,047 Ft

1,092 Ft

1,092 Ft