Eagle's balanced 1924 air group enters Mediterranean service

Her initial complement divided roughly twenty-four aircraft among Fairey Flycatcher fighters, Blackburn reconnaissance aircraft, Supermarine Seagull flying boats, and Blackburn Dart torpedo bombers. The tall hangar made her a capable maintenance facility during extensive Mediterranean service and experimentation. A 1925-26 refit removed longitudinal wires intended to prevent aircraft drifting over the deck edge; as aircraft grew heavier, the wires became a hazard rather than an aid. The mixed air group combined fighter defence, reconnaissance, spotting, seaplane work, and torpedo attack before later air groups became more standardized.