FLAT-TOPS: The Story of Aircraft carriers.

by Captain Edmund L. Castillo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 2, 1969

Most strategists may consider flat-tops obsolete and many youngsters may find them less enthralling than the audacious P-T boat, for instance, but they were long the basis as well as the base of naval aviation and a phenomenon in their own fight. In the chronological history from Gene Ely's 1910 takeoff from an improvised cruiser platform to the nuclear-powered Enterprise anal new adaptations for new tasks, the problem-solving aspect is highlighted: how to launch a plane despite a short runway (answer: the catapult); how to land a land plane (answer: an unobstructed deck -- the superstructure moved to one side -- and improved arresting gear); how to handle more than one plane at a time (answer: the two runway angled deck). A striking photo of this last appears on the cover (unfortunately not alluded to in the text) and vivid photos plus vivid quotes freshen the text throughout. The last chapter is a-day-onthe-flight-deck -- and interesting evidence of how quickly a recruit becomes an expert. Concise, informative and, where appropriate, dramatic.

Pub Date: Sept. 2, 1969

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1969

Categories: NONFICTION