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Explore aircraft carriers past and present through the activities below.
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Watch this video about the history of aircraft carriers and then talk with your family about the following questions:
The first airplane takeoff from a warship happened on November 14, 1910 at Hampton Roads, Virginia. Eugene Ely was the pilot.
Eugene Ely flew in a biplane made mostly of wood and fabric, called the Curtiss D-III Headless Pusher.
He wasn't able to land back on the warship because of damage to his plane.
Eugene Ely successfully landed his Curtiss Model D biplane on the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco on January 18, 1911. Naval aviation was born!
USS Langley became the first American aircraft carrier in 1922 The Navy used a coal carrier and changed it so aircraft could land and take off from its platform.
Lt. Cmdr. Godfrey Chevalier makes the first landing on the Langley on October 26, 1922, in an Aeromarine 39-B.
This model of the USS Langley shows what it looked like in 1927.
Follow the STEM in 30 crew along as they spend time on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.
Talk about it!
Watch and listen as Curator of Modern Military Aircraft at NASM, Mike Hankins, describes what's happening during this timelapse video of a snapshot of the flight deck in action.
Talk about it!
Do you know what a Landing Signal Officer does on an aircraft carrier? They play a vital role in landing airplanes on an aircraft carrier. Learn about their job in this video produced by STEM in 30.
Commander Ray Stromberger talks about the path that led him to becoming the navigator aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
See a 360 degree view from inside the cockpit of an F-18 Hornet as the pilot catapults and traps on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Talk about it! If you worked on an aircraft carrier, what job would you be interested in doing?
Which paper airplane design allows you to land on an aircraft carrier?
Can you get your plane to land on the aircraft carrier? Or will your plane fall into the ocean? Give it a try!
Gather the materials you'll need:
Follow the instructions on the video.
Try landing a paper airplane at home with some tips from our Explainers. It's not as easy as it looks!
Here are instructions on how to fold a paper airplane called the Dart.
Think about it!
Watch this video to learn more about the aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, and the model that will be featured in one of our new galleries at the museum.
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