Q&A ยท 2:46:57-2:47:32

When the Forrestal class gained an angled flight deck

The angle of a carrier's landing runway can persist even as the surrounding deck becomes more rectangular.

Question

At what point did the Forrestal design acquire an angled flight deck?

Short answer

The angled deck entered essentially from the beginning because Forrestal's design matured just as the concept was being adopted across carrier aviation.

Notes

Angled landing decks were being adopted while Forrestal's design developed, and their influence is placed near the beginning of that process. Some early design discussions are acknowledged, without a precise drawing date. An angled landing runway is distinct from the carrier's overall outline. Later decks can fill the surrounding spaces into a broad rectangular platform while retaining an angled landing area.