How Aircraft Went To Sea - From Biplane Barges to Aircraft Carriers (feat. Drachinifel)

Today we are joined by Drachinifel, who is helping us navigate the muddy waters of aircraft carrier development: beginning with the earliest concepts of manned kites and ending with the fleet carriers that went into WW2.

Go check out Drachinifel's channel here -   / @drachinifel  


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0:00 Introduction
1:43 Balloon and Kite Carriers: at the wind's mercy
4:01 Fixed wing aircraft enter the scene
5:22 The first seaplane carriers
11:00 Push/Resistance for and against seaplane carriers
17:53 Aircraft carrying ships in WW1
20:20 Jutland, a semi-missed opportunity
23:13 Aircraft "Lighters" (a.k.a towable barges)
27:56 The first true aircraft carriers begin to appear
31:35 The proposed Wilhelmshaven raid: a complete missed opportunity
38:48 Early British and Japanese carriers
43:18 The Washington Naval Treaty: the problem of tonnage
48:58 How the Naval powers worked out their carrier doctrine
54:21 Early carrier operations: how easy was it for pilots?
59:12 Carrier landing difficulties (with video footage)
01:02:30 The challenge of finding the carrier following a mission
01:08:06 Carrier aircraft of the naval powers: what influenced them?
01:16:29 Royal Air Force vs Fleet Air Arm
01:25:39 HMS Ark Royal: The best interwar carrier?
01:29:26 Drach's favourite early aircraft carrier?