The Royal Navy, United States Navy, Imperial Japanese Navy, and French Navy all operated or tested shipboard aircraft-launch systems during the interwar period. Their naval engineers gained direct exposure to catapults and related floatplane equipment without relying on merchant airmail tenders. Navies compared compressed-air and hydraulic systems, and some returned to hydraulics after trials. Interwar naval engineers watched foreign work closely and copied promising ideas before testing them against local requirements. Large testing and procurement budgets made it easier to investigate a rival's system and reject it for a specific reason. German tender experience was useful, but neither unique nor automatically superior preparation for carrier aviation.
Notable Point · 34:01-35:24
German catapult experience was not a unique advantage
Other major navies were testing comparable surface-warship aircraft systems and borrowing ideas across national lines.