Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:30:08-2:30:53

What the CV-01 'Alaskan Highway' was for

The passage beside CV-01's island would have eased aircraft movement, staging, storage, and maintenance without blocking the landing area.

Aircraft CarriersCarrier DesignCV 01 Aircraft CarrierFlight Deck Operations
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Question

What purpose did the proposed 'Alaskan Highway' beside CV-01's superstructure serve?

Short answer

It created a route and working area for moving aircraft between landing, lift, storage, and launch positions.

Notes

The proposed 'Alaskan Highway' was the strip of flight deck running beside an island set farther inboard. It would let crews move a landed aircraft toward the aft lift or ready position without awkwardly reversing it across the main operating area. The extra passage also offered room to stage, store, or maintain aircraft while preserving more useful deck space forward. The inboard island position would give deck crews another route between aircraft-handling areas.