Eric Brown's trials test what relatively compact carriers could operate. Brown landed a twin-engine Mosquito on HMS Indefatigable in 1944 and a Vampire jet on HMS Ocean in 1945. He later put an undercarriage-free Vampire onto a rubber-covered flexible deck aboard HMS Warrior. The aircraft effectively settled onto the deck surface, yet Brown considered the idea promising. The final anecdote makes the physical risk of carrier experimentation hard to miss.
Notable Point · 42:11-43:39
Eric Brown's twin-engine, jet, and flexible-deck carrier trials
Eric Brown's Mosquito, Vampire, and undercarriage-free landings demonstrate how experimental flying tested the physical limits of carrier operation.