Flight deck

A flight deck is mostly flat top of an aircraft carrier, can start on the planes take off and land.

Wherein the first aircraft flight deck, the supports consisting of a long, made ​​of wood plane, which was set on the hull of a ship. Later, the flight deck was part of the hull and then made ​​of steel.

In many aircraft carriers several catapults are embedded in the flight deck to accelerate an aircraft at the start of addition. About the flight deck arrester cables are tensioned by means of which the aircraft is decelerated quickly on landing. Without these aids aircraft carrier come from that are designed for helicopters and vertical takeoff aircraft. With some carriers a kind of jump is integrated into the flight deck for the launch.

For large aircraft carriers, the runway is built at an angle to the hull, the deck angle is oriented around 9 ° at the U.S. carriers to port. This aircraft can land there, while at the same time launch other aircraft from the front portion of the deck.

About the flight deck rises an "island" called structure in which are located next to the bridge of the ship, the flight deck surveillance, radar systems and the like.

About lifts the flight deck is connected to the hangar deck, which occupies the space below the flight deck. In the hangar, the aircraft are serviced, repaired and parked when they can not stay on the flight deck. In addition, logistical tasks are performed on these decks, for example, the preparation of weapons for the aircraft.