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Somerset museum restores world's first aircraft carrier - which was just 58ft long
The only surviving example of the world's first aircraft carrier which measures just 58ft long is going to go on display in Somerset.
With modern day carriers in the Royal Navy now measuring hundreds of feet, the tiny boat which has been restored by the Fleet Air Arm museum could carry just one plane which was launched by towing it behind another boat into the wind.
The simple vessels were used to launch First World War biplanes from the middle of the sea so they could attack German airships before they reached Britain.
A Sopwith Camel plane would be strapped to the deck of the boat and taken out to sea before being towed into the wind at over 20 knots.
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Crew had to hold the plane back while the pilot got the engine up to speed then release the chocks at the right moment.
The pilot had just 58 feet of 'runway' to get the plane airborne or it would plummet into the sea with disastrous consequences.
And even if the plane made it into the air, the only way the pilot could land again was by crashing into the sea in the hope of being rescued.
The craft were the brainchild of the British Admiralty, who built them in a bid to end the destruction caused by bombs dropped on Britain by German zeppelins.
By launching planes out to sea the zeppelins could be intercepted and shot down before they could unleash their deadly payloads.
The only existing example of the craft, called a seaplane lighter, was discovered rusting on the banks of the River Thames by a passing naval historian in 1996.
It was salvaged by experts at the Fleet Air Arm Museum who have spent 12 years restoring it to its former glory.
They now plan to give it pride of place in a new entrance hall at the museum near Yeovil, with a restored Sopwith Camel mounted on it.
Dave Morris, curator of aircraft at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, said: 'The boat came to us after it was spotted on the banks of the Thames.
'It was actually in remarkable condition. We have stripped back the Thames Barge paint that covered it and returned it to its original First World War condition.
'It's incredible to compare it to aircraft carriers of today, but believe it or not this is where it all started.'
Read more: http://ift.tt/PDOGc4
Read more: http://ift.tt/PDOHwL
The only surviving example of the world's first aircraft carrier which measures just 58ft long is going to go on display in Somerset.
With modern day carriers in the Royal Navy now measuring hundreds of feet, the tiny boat which has been restored by the Fleet Air Arm museum could carry just one plane which was launched by towing it behind another boat into the wind.
The simple vessels were used to launch First World War biplanes from the middle of the sea so they could attack German airships before they reached Britain.
A Sopwith Camel plane would be strapped to the deck of the boat and taken out to sea before being towed into the wind at over 20 knots.
RELATED CONTENT
Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton celebrates 50th anniversary
Lasting tribute to war hero Henry Allingham to be unveiled today
Rare aircraft and painstaking restoration - meet the Fleet Air Arm Museum's reserve collection
Crew had to hold the plane back while the pilot got the engine up to speed then release the chocks at the right moment.
The pilot had just 58 feet of 'runway' to get the plane airborne or it would plummet into the sea with disastrous consequences.
And even if the plane made it into the air, the only way the pilot could land again was by crashing into the sea in the hope of being rescued.
The craft were the brainchild of the British Admiralty, who built them in a bid to end the destruction caused by bombs dropped on Britain by German zeppelins.
By launching planes out to sea the zeppelins could be intercepted and shot down before they could unleash their deadly payloads.
The only existing example of the craft, called a seaplane lighter, was discovered rusting on the banks of the River Thames by a passing naval historian in 1996.
It was salvaged by experts at the Fleet Air Arm Museum who have spent 12 years restoring it to its former glory.
They now plan to give it pride of place in a new entrance hall at the museum near Yeovil, with a restored Sopwith Camel mounted on it.
Dave Morris, curator of aircraft at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, said: 'The boat came to us after it was spotted on the banks of the Thames.
'It was actually in remarkable condition. We have stripped back the Thames Barge paint that covered it and returned it to its original First World War condition.
'It's incredible to compare it to aircraft carriers of today, but believe it or not this is where it all started.'
Read more: http://ift.tt/PDOGc4
Read more: http://ift.tt/PDOHwL