The First Unassisted Aircraft Carrier Landing

The first successful landing on an aircraft carrier was performed without the aid of arresting wires for stopping the plane. Instead, crew members on deck grabbed ropes tied to the plane.

Edwin Dunning lands his Sopwith Pup on HMS Furious on August 2, 1917, as members of the deck crew rush to grab loops fitted to its wings and tailplane (Imperial War Museums)

The concept of the aircraft carrier was pioneered in 1917 by 25-year-old Edwin Dunning, who attempted the seemingly impossible task of landing an airplane on the deck of a moving vessel, the HMS Furious​​. This significant innovation in naval warfare came at a time when the British Admiralty had largely dismissed the potential of aircraft in combat, viewing them solely as tools for reconnaissance, while the vision of a flat-top aircraft carrier was prophesied by French inventor Clément Ader in his 1909 book, L’Aviation Militaire.

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